Apparatuses and methods for data movement

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for data movement. An example apparatus includes a memory device that includes a plurality of subarrays of memory cells and sensing circuitry coupled to the plurality of subarrays. The sensing circuitry includes a sense amplifier and a compute component. The memory device also includes a plurality of subarray controllers. Each subarray controller of the plurality of subarray controllers is coupled to a respective subarray of the plurality of subarrays and is configured to direct performance of an operation with respect to data stored in the respective subarray of the plurality of subarrays. The memory device is configured to move a data value corresponding to a result of an operation with respect to data stored in a first subarray of the plurality of subarrays to a memory cell in a second subarray of the plurality of subarrays.

PRIORITY INFORMATION

This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/506,664, filed Jul. 9, 2019, which issues as U.S. Pat. No. 11,010,085on May 18, 2021, which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/978,750, filed May 14, 2018, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,353,618on Jul. 16, 2019, which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/045,750, filed Feb. 17, 2016, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,971,541on May 15, 2018, the contents of which are included herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor memory andmethods, and more particularly, to apparatuses and methods for datamovement.

BACKGROUND

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor,integrated circuits in computers or other electronic systems. There aremany different types of memory including volatile and non-volatilememory. Volatile memory can require power to maintain its data (e.g.,host data, error data, etc.) and includes random access memory (RAM),dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM),synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and thyristor randomaccess memory (TRAM), among others. Non-volatile memory can providepersistent data by retaining stored data when not powered and caninclude NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, and resistance variablememory such as phase change random access memory (PCRAM), resistiverandom access memory (RRAM), and magnetoresistive random access memory(MRAM), such as spin torque transfer random access memory (STT RAM),among others.

Electronic systems often include a number of processing resources (e.g.,one or more processors), which may retrieve and execute instructions andstore the results of the executed instructions to a suitable location. Aprocessor can comprise a number of functional units such as arithmeticlogic unit (ALU) circuitry, floating point unit (FPU) circuitry, and acombinatorial logic block, for example, which can be used to executeinstructions by performing operations, such as AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR,and XOR, and invert (e.g., inversion) operations on data (e.g., one ormore operands). For example, functional unit circuitry may be used toperform arithmetic operations, such as addition, subtraction,multiplication, and division, on operands via a number of operations.

A number of components in an electronic system may be involved inproviding instructions to the functional unit circuitry for execution.The instructions may be executed, for instance, by a processing resourcesuch as a controller and host processor. Data (e.g., the operands onwhich the instructions will be executed) may be stored in a memory arraythat is accessible by the functional unit circuitry. The instructionsand data may be retrieved from the memory array and sequenced andbuffered before the functional unit circuitry begins to executeinstructions on the data. Furthermore, as different types of operationsmay be performed in one or multiple clock cycles through the functionalunit circuitry, intermediate results of the instructions and data mayalso be sequenced and buffered.

In many instances, the processing resources (e.g., processor andassociated functional unit circuitry) may be external to the memoryarray, and data is accessed via a bus between the processing resourcesand the memory array to execute a set of instructions. Processingperformance may be improved in a processing-in-memory device, in which aprocessor may be implemented internal and near to a memory (e.g.,directly on a same chip as the memory array). A processing-in-memorydevice may save time by reducing and eliminating external communicationsand may also conserve power. However, data movement between and withinbanks of a processing-in-memory device may influence the data processingtime of the processing-in-memory device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an apparatus in the form of a computingsystem including a memory device in accordance with a number ofembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of a bank section of a memory device inaccordance with a number of embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1C is a block diagram of a bank of a memory device in accordancewith a number of embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating sensing circuitry of a memorydevice in accordance with a number of embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating circuitry for data movementto a memory device in accordance with a number of embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 4A and 4B represent another schematic diagram illustratingcircuitry for data movement to a memory device in accordance with anumber of embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a timing diagram associated with performing a numberof data movement operations using circuitry in accordance with a numberof embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for datamovement (e.g., for processing-in-memory (PIM) structures). In at leastone embodiment, the apparatus includes a memory device configured toinclude a plurality of subarrays of memory cells and sensing circuitrycoupled to the plurality of subarrays (e.g., via a plurality of columnsof the memory cells). The sensing circuitry includes a sense amplifierand a compute component (e.g., coupled to each of the plurality ofcolumns). The memory device includes a plurality of subarraycontrollers. Each subarray controller of the plurality of subarraycontrollers is coupled to a respective subarray of the plurality ofsubarrays and is configured to direct performance of an operation (e.g.,a single operation) with respect to data stored in the respectivesubarray of the plurality of subarrays. For example, the data on whichthe operation is performed can be stored in a subset of or all of thememory cells in the respective subarray of the plurality of subarrays.

The memory device is configured to move a data value corresponding to aresult of an operation with respect to data stored in a first subarrayof the plurality of subarrays to a memory cell in a second subarray ofthe plurality of subarrays. For example, a first operation can beperformed with respect to data stored in the first subarray and a secondoperation can be performed with respect to data moved to the secondsubarray, where the second operation can be different than the firstoperation.

Most data should vary between different banks and subarrays within a PIMstructure (e.g., PIM DRAM implementation). As described in more detailbelow, the embodiments can allow a host system to allocate a number oflocations (e.g., sub-arrays (or “subarrays”)) and portions of subarrays,in one or more DRAM banks to hold (e.g., store) and/or process data. Ahost system and a controller may perform the address resolution onentire, or portions of, blocks of program instructions (e.g., PIMcommand instructions) and data and direct (e.g., control) allocation,storage, and/or flow of data and commands into allocated locations(e.g., subarrays and portions of subarrays) within a destination (e.g.,target) bank. Writing data and executing commands (e.g., performing asequence of operations, as described herein) may utilize a normal DRAMwrite path to the DRAM device. As the reader will appreciate, while aDRAM-style PIM device is discussed with regard to examples presentedherein, embodiments are not limited to a PIM DRAM implementation.

As described herein, a bit-parallel single instruction multiple data(SIMD) functionality can be modified to operate as a systolic array withan ability to perform multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD)operations. For example, when 64 subarrays are used to perform anoperation with 64 logical steps, implantation of such an architecturalmodification may yield around a 64-fold increase in performance (e.g.,by performing the operation in around 1/64th of the time) for someapplications of the PIM device.

The architecture can use a subarray controller (e.g., a sequencer, astate machine, a microcontroller, a sub-processor, ALU circuitry, orsome other type of controller) to execute a set of instructions toperform an operation (e.g., a single operation) on data (e.g., one ormore operands). As used herein, an operation can be, for example, aBoolean operation, such as AND, OR, NOT, NOT, NAND, NOR, and XOR, and/orother operations (e.g., invert, shift, arithmetic, statistics, amongmany other possible operations). For example, functional unit circuitrymay be used to perform the arithmetic operations, such as addition,subtraction, multiplication, and division on operands, via a number oflogical operations.

Each subarray controller may be coupled to a respective subarray tostage and control the processing performed on data stored in thatsubarray (e.g., which may be just a subset of all the data stored inthat subarray). For example, each memory cell in each subarray can beinvolved in performance of a single operation (also referred to as an“atomic operation”) that can be the same as (e.g., identical to) theoperation performed on data stored in the other memory cells in the samesubarray. This can provide processing and/or power consumption benefits.

Multiple unique operations in a sequence of instructions may beperformed with a streaming interface. The streaming interface may be ashared I/O line, as described herein, (also referred to as a data flowpipeline) between the memory cells. Such a data flow pipeline can allowa single operation to be performed with respect to data stored in onesubarray, with a data value corresponding to the result of thatoperation being moved (e.g., transferred, transported, and/or fed) bythe data flow pipeline (e.g., via a shared I/O line) into a selected rowof another (e.g., adjacent) subarray. The memory device may beconfigured to perform a next single operation on data stored in theother subarray that, in various embodiments, may be a same or adifferent operation. This process can be repeated until the sequence ofinstructions is completed to yield an intended result.

According to one or more embodiments, there may be one subarraycontroller per subarray. In some embodiments, a bank of a memory devicecan have 64 subarrays. Thus, the bank might have 64 subarraycontrollers. Each subarray controller can be configured to perform auniquely defined operation. The memory device can be configured to movethe result of its one operation to a particular row of another subarray.Different operations may be performed on data stored in each subarraybased upon the instructions executed by their respective subarraycontrollers. Because operational cycles may include operations that takelonger to perform than one clock cycle of the computing device, anoperational cycle may, in some embodiments, last more than one clockcycle.

As used herein, a batch is intended to mean a unit of data values thataccumulates in an input data cache, as described herein, as unprocesseddata until input to a first subarray for processing. The batch ofunprocessed data may be input to the first subarray, for example, whenthe data values of the batch are substantially equal to the number ofmemory cells of the first subarray (e.g., in at least one row of thesubarray). A first batch of data values input to the first subarray canbe referred to as the first batch until output as completely processeddata values after performance of a last operation in a sequence ofoperations. Similarly, after the first batch of data has been moved(e.g., transferred and/or copied) to another subarray, a second batch ofdata values can be input to the first subarray and can be referred to asthe second batch until output as completely processed data values, andso on.

As used herein, systolic is intended to mean data that is input to flowthrough a network of hard-wired processor nodes (e.g., memory cells insubarrays, as described herein) to combine, process, merge, and/or sortthe data into a derived end result. Each node can independently computea partial result, store the partial result within itself, and move(e.g., transfer and/or copy) the partial result downstream for furtherprocessing of the partial result until computation and output of thederived end result. Systolic arrays may be referred to as MIMDarchitectures.

When a first batch of unprocessed data that has been input into a firstsubarray in a sequence of, for example, 64 subarrays has been processedand moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied) to another (e.g., a second)subarray for systolic processing, a second batch of unprocessed data canbe input into the first subarray, followed by a third batch when thesecond batch has been moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied) to thesecond subarray and the first batch has been moved (e.g., transferredand/or copied) to a third subarray, and so on. Latency, as describedherein, is intended to mean a period of time between input of a firstbatch of unprocessed data to a first subarray for performance of a firstoperation and output of the first batch as completely processed data.For example, when a sequence of 64 instructions has been executed andthe processed data has been output after the 64th operational cycle(e.g., after performing a 64th operation in the sequence of 64operations), the latency of output from the sequence of 64 subarrays hasexpired. As such, because additional batches of data can be input afterevery operational cycle, every operational cycle of the memory devicefollowing the latency can output a completely processed batch of dataor, in some embodiments described herein, more than one completelyprocessed batch of data.

Many applications may involve input of a lengthy and/or continuousstream of data for data processing. Such applications can, for example,include signal processing, image processing, speech recognition, packetinspection, comma separated value (CSV) parsing, matrix multiplication,and neural nets, among other applications, that may operate on a lengthyand/or continuous stream of data. In some embodiments, this unprocesseddata may be input into a figurative top of an array that is configuredas a stack of subarrays and the data processed by execution of asequence of instructions in consecutive subarrays, and the result may beoutput at the bottom of the stack of subarrays.

The apparatuses and methods for data movement described herein include anumber of changes to operation of a controller of, for example, a PIMDRAM implementation. For example, the controller can coordinateassignment of instructions for separate operations of a sequence ofoperations to each subarray controller, as described herein, such thateach subarray controller performs a separate operation with respect todata stored in each of the subarrays. For example, for a stack of 64subarrays, 64 independent operations can be performed to complete thesequence of operations.

The subarray controller coupled to each subarray can be configured todirect (e.g., by execution of instructions) moving (e.g., transferringand/or copying) a result of performance of the operation from sensingcircuitry, as described herein, to a row (e.g., a memory cell in therow) in another (e.g., adjacent) subarray. For example, each performanceof the operation can be followed by moving (e.g., transferring and/orcopying) the resultant processed data value from the sensing circuitryof each subarray to a row in another subarray for performance of thenext operation in the sequence of operations (e.g., a systolicsequence). A subarray controller configured to perform an operation at abeginning of a sequence can be coupled to an input data cache to sensethe presence of new data therein and to initiate the sequence ofoperations based thereon.

An advantage of the systolic data movement described herein can includethat a PIM DRAM memory device may effectively make use of its massiveparallelization and computational power. For example, a PIM DRAM memorydevice may extend its computation and execution capabilities in order tosubstantially simultaneously perform multiple, independent, and/orunique operations in a sequence of operations while outputting theprocessed data values in parallel from one operation to the next.Accordingly, for example, for a stack of 64 subarrays, 64 independentoperations can be performed to effectively increase the performance(e.g., speed, rate, and/or efficiency) of data movement in a PIM arrayby 64-fold.

In the following detailed description of the present disclosure,reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof,and in which is shown by way of illustration how one or more embodimentsof the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described insufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art topractice the embodiments of this disclosure, and it is to be understoodthat other embodiments may be utilized and that process, electrical, andstructural changes may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

As used herein, designators such as “X”, “Y”, “N”, “M”, etc.,particularly with respect to reference numerals in the drawings,indicate that a number of the particular feature so designated can beincluded. It is also to be understood that the terminology used hereinis for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is notintended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”,and “the” can include both singular and plural referents, unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, “a number of”, “atleast one”, and “one or more” (e.g., a number of memory arrays) canrefer to one or more memory arrays, whereas a “plurality of” is intendedto refer to more than one of such things. Furthermore, the words “can”and “may” are used throughout this application in a permissive sense(i.e., having the potential to, being able to), not in a mandatory sense(i.e., must). The term “include,” and derivations thereof, means“including, but not limited to”. The terms “coupled” and “coupling” meanto be directly or indirectly connected physically or for access to andmovement (transmission) of commands and data, as appropriate to thecontext. The terms “data” and “data values” are used interchangeablyherein and can have the same meaning, as appropriate to the context.

The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the firstdigit or digits correspond to the figure number and the remaining digitsidentify an element or component in the figure. Similar elements orcomponents between different figures may be identified by the use ofsimilar digits. For example, 108 may reference element “08” in FIG. 1 ,and a similar element may be referenced as 208 in FIG. 2 . As will beappreciated, elements shown in the various embodiments herein can beadded, exchanged, and eliminated so as to provide a number of additionalembodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the proportion andthe relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intendedto illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure and shouldnot be taken in a limiting sense.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an apparatus in the form of a computingsystem 100 including a memory device 120 in accordance with a number ofembodiments of the present disclosure. As used herein, a memory device120, controller 140, channel controller 143, memory array 130, sensingcircuitry 150, including sensing amplifiers and compute components, andperipheral sense amplifier and logic 170 might each also be separatelyconsidered an “apparatus.”

In previous approaches, data may be transferred from the array andsensing circuitry (e.g., via a bus comprising input/output (I/O) lines)to a processing resource such as a processor, microprocessor, andcompute engine, which may comprise ALU circuitry and other functionalunit circuitry configured to perform the appropriate operations.However, transferring data from a memory array and sensing circuitry tosuch processing resource(s) may involve significant power consumption.Even if the processing resource is located on a same chip as the memoryarray, significant power can be consumed in moving data out of the arrayto the compute circuitry, which can involve performing a sense line(which may be referred to herein as a digit line or data line) addressaccess (e.g., firing of a column decode signal) in order to transferdata from sense lines onto I/O lines (e.g., local and global I/O lines),moving the data to the array periphery, and providing the data to thecompute function.

Furthermore, the circuitry of the processing resource(s) (e.g., acompute engine) may not conform to pitch rules associated with a memoryarray. For example, the cells of a memory array may have a 4F² or 6F²cell size, where “F” is a feature size corresponding to the cells. Assuch, the devices (e.g., logic gates) associated with ALU circuitry ofprevious PIM systems may not be capable of being formed on pitch withthe memory cells, which can affect chip size and memory density, forexample.

A number of embodiments of the present disclosure include sensingcircuitry formed on pitch with an array of memory cells. The sensingcircuitry is capable of performing data sensing and compute functionsand storage (e.g., caching) of data local to the array of memory cells.

In order to appreciate the improved data movement techniques describedherein, a discussion of an apparatus for implementing such techniques(e.g., a memory device having PIM capabilities and an associated host)follows. According to various embodiments, program instructions (e.g.,PIM commands) involving a memory device having PIM capabilities candistribute implementation of the PIM commands and data over multiplesensing circuitries that can implement operations and can move and storethe PIM commands and data within the memory array (e.g., without havingto transfer such back and forth over an A/C and data bus between a hostand the memory device). Thus, data for a memory device having PIMcapabilities can be accessed and used in less time and using less power.For example, a time and power advantage can be realized by increasingthe speed, rate, and/or efficiency of data being moved around and storedin a computing system in order to process requested memory arrayoperations (e.g., reads, writes, logical operations, etc.).

The system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A can include a host 110 coupled(e.g., connected) to memory device 120, which includes the memory array130. Host 110 can be a host system such as a personal laptop computer, adesktop computer, a tablet computer, a digital camera, a smart phone, ora memory card reader, among various other types of hosts. Host 110 caninclude a system motherboard and backplane and can include a number ofprocessing resources (e.g., one or more processors, microprocessors, orsome other type of controlling circuitry). The system 100 can includeseparate integrated circuits or both the host 110 and the memory device120 can be on the same integrated circuit. The system 100 can be, forinstance, a server system and a high performance computing (HPC) systemand a portion thereof. Although the example shown in FIG. 1A illustratesa system having a Von Neumann architecture, embodiments of the presentdisclosure can be implemented in non-Von Neumann architectures, whichmay not include one or more components (e.g., CPU, ALU, etc.) oftenassociated with a Von Neumann architecture.

For clarity, description of the system 100 has been simplified to focuson features with particular relevance to the present disclosure. Forexample, in various embodiments, the memory array 130 can be a DRAMarray, SRAM array, STT RAM array, PCRAM array, TRAM array, RRAM array,NAND flash array, and NOR flash array, for instance. The memory array130 can include memory cells arranged in rows coupled by access lines(which may be referred to herein as word lines or select lines) andcolumns coupled by sense lines (which may be referred to herein as datalines or digit lines). Although a single memory array 130 is shown inFIG. 1A, embodiments are not so limited. For instance, memory device 120may include a number of memory arrays 130 (e.g., a number of banks ofDRAM cells, NAND flash cells, etc.) in addition to a number subarrays,as described herein.

The memory device 120 can include address circuitry 142 to latch addresssignals provided over a data bus 156 (e.g., an I/O bus from the host110) by I/O circuitry 144 (e.g., provided to external ALU circuitry andto DRAM DQs via local I/O lines and global I/O lines). Status andexception information can be provided from the controller 140 on thememory device 120 to a channel controller 143, for example, through ahigh speed interface (HSI) out-of-band bus 157, which in turn can beprovided from the channel controller 143 to the host 110. The channelcontroller 143 can include a logic component 160 to allocate a pluralityof locations (e.g., controllers for subarrays) in the arrays of eachrespective bank to store bank commands, application instructions (e.g.,as sequences of operations), and arguments (PIM commands) for thevarious banks associated with operation of each of a plurality of memorydevices (e.g., 120-0, 120-1, . . . , 120-N). The channel controller 143can dispatch commands (e.g., PIM commands) to the plurality of memorydevices 120-1, . . . , 120-N to store those program instructions withina given bank of a memory device.

Address signals are received through address circuitry 142 and decodedby a row decoder 146 and a column decoder 152 to access the memory array130. Data can be sensed (read) from memory array 130 by sensing voltageand current changes on sense lines (digit lines) using a number of senseamplifiers, as described herein, of the sensing circuitry 150. A senseamplifier can read and latch a page (e.g., a row) of data from thememory array 130. Additional compute components, as described herein,can be coupled to the sense amplifiers and can be used in combinationwith the sense amplifiers to sense, store (e.g., cache and buffer),perform compute functions (e.g., operations), and/or move data. The I/Ocircuitry 144 can be used for bi-directional data communication withhost 110 over the data bus 156 (e.g., a 64 bit wide data bus). The writecircuitry 148 can be used to write data to the memory array 130.

Controller 140 (e.g., bank control logic and sequencer) can decodesignals (e.g., commands) provided by control bus 154 from the host 110.These signals can include chip enable signals, write enable signals, andaddress latch signals that can be used to control operations performedon the memory array 130, including data sense, data store, data move,data write, and data erase operations, among other operations. Invarious embodiments, the controller 140 can be responsible for executinginstructions from the host 110 and accessing the memory array 130. Thecontroller 140 can be a state machine, a sequencer, or some other typeof controller. The controller 140 can control shifting data (e.g., rightor left) in a row of an array (e.g., memory array 130).

Examples of the sensing circuitry 150 are described further below (e.g.,in FIGS. 2 and 3 ). For instance, in a number of embodiments, thesensing circuitry 150 can include a number of sense amplifiers and anumber of compute components, which may serve as an accumulator and canbe used to perform operations as directed by the subarray controller ofeach subarray (e.g., on data associated with complementary sense lines).

In a number of embodiments, the sensing circuitry 150 can be used toperform operations using data stored in memory array 130 as inputs andparticipate in movement of the data for writing, logic, and storageoperations to a different location in the memory array 130 withouttransferring the data via a sense line address access (e.g., withoutfiring a column decode signal). As such, various compute functions canbe performed using, and within, sensing circuitry 150 rather than (or inassociation with) being performed by processing resources external tothe sensing circuitry 150 (e.g., by a processor associated with host 110and other processing circuitry, such as ALU circuitry, located on device120, such as on controller 140 or elsewhere).

In various previous approaches, data associated with an operand, forinstance, would be read from memory via sensing circuitry and providedto external ALU circuitry via I/O lines (e.g., via local I/O lines andglobal I/O lines). The external ALU circuitry could include a number ofregisters and would perform compute functions using the operands, andthe result would be transferred back to the array via the I/O lines.

In contrast, in a number of embodiments of the present disclosure, thesensing circuitry 150 is configured to perform operations on data storedin memory array 130 and store the result back to the memory array 130without enabling a local I/O line and global I/O line coupled to thesensing circuitry 150. The sensing circuitry 150 can be formed on pitchwith the memory cells of the array. Additional peripheral senseamplifiers and/or logic 170 (e.g., the subarray controllers that eachstore instructions for performance of an operation) can be coupled tothe sensing circuitry 150. The sensing circuitry 150 and the peripheralsense amplifier and logic 170 can cooperate in performing operations,according to some embodiments described herein.

As such, in a number of embodiments, circuitry external to memory array130 and sensing circuitry 150 is not needed to perform compute functionsas the sensing circuitry 150 can perform the appropriate operations inorder to perform such compute functions by execution of a set (e.g., asequence) of instructions without the use of an external processingresource. Therefore, the sensing circuitry 150 may be used to complementor to replace, at least to some extent, such an external processingresource (or at least lessen the bandwidth consumption of such anexternal processing resource).

In a number of embodiments, the sensing circuitry 150 may be used toperform operations (e.g., to execute the set of instructions) inaddition to operations performed by an external processing resource(e.g., host 110). For instance, either of the host 110 and the sensingcircuitry 150 may be limited to performing only certain operations and acertain number of operations.

Enabling a local I/O line and global I/O line can include enabling(e.g., activating, turning on) a transistor having a gate coupled to adecode signal (e.g., a column decode signal) and a source/drain coupledto the I/O line. However, embodiments are not limited to not enabling alocal I/O line and global I/O line. For instance, in a number ofembodiments, the sensing circuitry 150 can be used to perform operationswithout enabling column decode lines of the array. However, the localI/O line(s) and global I/O line(s) may be enabled in order to transfer aresult to a suitable location other than back to the memory array 130(e.g., to an external register).

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of a bank section 123 of a memory device inaccordance with a number of embodiments of the present disclosure. Forexample, bank section 123 can represent an example section of a numberof bank sections of a bank of a memory device (e.g., bank section 0,bank section 1, . . . , bank section M). As shown in FIG. 1B, a bankarchitecture can include a plurality of memory columns 122 shownhorizontally as X (e.g., 16,384 columns in an example DRAM bank and banksection). Additionally, the bank section 123 may be divided intosubarray 0, subarray 1, . . . , and subarray N−1 (e.g., 32, 64, or 128subarrays, among other subarray configurations) shown at 125-0, 125-1, .. . , 125-N−1, respectively, that are separated by amplification regionsconfigured to be coupled to a data path (e.g., the shared I/O linedescribed herein). As such, the subarrays 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1can each have amplification regions shown at 124-0, 124-1, . . . ,124-N−1 that correspond to sensing component stripe 0, sensing componentstripe 1, . . . , and sensing component stripe N−1, respectively.

Each column 122 can be configured to be coupled to sensing circuitry150, as described in connection with FIG. 1A and elsewhere herein. Assuch, each column in a subarray can be coupled individually to a senseamplifier and/or compute component that contribute to a sensingcomponent stripe for that subarray. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B,the bank architecture can include sensing component stripe 0, sensingcomponent stripe 1, . . . , sensing component stripe N−1 that each havesensing circuitry 150 with sense amplifiers and compute components thatcan, in various embodiments, be used as registers, caches, etc., and forcomputations, data buffering, etc. The sensing component stripes can, insome embodiments, be coupled to each column 122 in the respectivesubarrays 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1. The compute component withinthe sensing circuitry 150 coupled to the memory array 130, as shown inFIG. 1A, can complement a cache 171 associated with the controller 140.

Each of the of the subarrays 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 can include aplurality of rows 119 shown vertically as Y (e.g., each subarray mayinclude 512 rows in an example DRAM bank). Example embodiments are notlimited to the example horizontal and vertical orientation of columnsand rows described herein or the example numbers thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the bank architecture can be associated withcontroller 140. The controller 140 shown in FIG. 1B can, in variousexamples, represent at least a portion of the functionality embodied byand contained in the controller 140 shown in FIG. 1A. The controller 140can direct (e.g., control) input of commands and data 141 to the bankarchitecture and output from the bank architecture (e.g., to the host110) along with control of data movement (e.g., systolic data movement)in the bank architecture, as described herein. The bank architecture caninclude a data bus 156 (e.g., a 64 bit wide data bus) to DRAM DQs, whichcan correspond to the data bus 156 described in connection with FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a block diagram of a bank 121 of a memory device 120 inaccordance with a number of embodiments of the present disclosure. Forexample, bank 121 can represent an example bank to a memory device(e.g., bank 0, bank 1, . . . , bank M−1). As shown in FIG. 1C, a bankarchitecture can include an address/control (A/C) path 153 (e.g., a bus)coupled to a controller 140. Again, the controller 140 shown in FIG. 1Ccan, in various examples, represent at least a portion of thefunctionality embodied by and contained in the controller 140 shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B.

As shown in FIG. 1C, a bank 121 can include a plurality of bank sections(e.g., bank section 123). As further shown in FIG. 1C, a bank section123 can be subdivided into a plurality of subarrays (e.g., subarray 0,subarray 1, . . . , subarray N−1 shown at 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1)respectively separated by sensing component stripes 124-0, 124-1, . . ., 124-N−1, as shown in FIG. 1B. The sensing component stripes caninclude sensing circuitry 150 and/or can be coupled to logic circuitry170, as shown in FIG. 1A and described further with regard to subarraycontrollers in connection with FIG. 1C through FIG. 5 .

As shown schematically in FIG. 1C, an architecture of a bank 121 andeach section 123 of the bank can include a plurality of shared I/O lines155 (e.g., data path, bus) configured to couple to the plurality ofsubarrays 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 of memory cells of the banksection 123 and a plurality of banks (not shown). The plurality ofshared I/O lines 155 can be selectably coupled between subarrays, rows,and particular columns of memory cells via the sensing component stripesrepresented by 124-0, 124-1, . . . , 124-N−1 shown in FIG. 1B. As noted,the sensing component stripes 124-0, 124-1, . . . , 124-N−1 each includesensing circuitry 150 with sense amplifiers and compute componentsconfigured to couple to each column of memory cells in each subarray, asshown in FIG. 1A and described further in connection with FIGS. 2-5 .

The plurality of shared I/O lines 155 can be utilized to increase aspeed, rate, and/or efficiency of data movement in a PIM array (e.g.,between subarrays). In at least one embodiment, using the plurality ofshared I/O lines 155 provides an improved data path by providing atleast a thousand bit width. In one embodiment, 2048 shared I/O lines arecoupled to 16,384 columns to provide a 2048 bit width. The illustratedplurality of shared I/O lines 155 can be formed on pitch with the memorycells of the array.

As described herein, an I/O line can be selectably shared by a pluralityof subarrays, rows, and particular columns of memory cells via thesensing component stripe coupled to each of the subarrays. For example,the sense amplifier and/or compute component of each of a selectablesubset of a number of columns (e.g., eight column subsets of a totalnumber of columns) can be selectably coupled to each of the plurality ofshared I/O lines for data values stored (cached) in the sensingcomponent stripe to be moved (e.g., transferred, transported, and/orfed) to each of the plurality of shared I/O lines. Because the singularforms “a”, “an”, and “the” can include both singular and pluralreferents herein, “a shared I/O line” can be used to refer to “aplurality of shared I/O lines”, unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Moreover, “shared I/O lines” is an abbreviation of “pluralityof shared I/O lines”.

In some embodiments, the controller 140 may be configured to provideinstructions (commands) and data to a plurality of locations of aparticular bank 121 in the memory array 130 and to the sensing componentstripes 124-0, 124-1, . . . , 124-N−1 via the plurality of shared I/Olines 155 coupled to control and data registers 151. For example, thecontrol and data registers 151 can provide instructions to be executedusing by the sense amplifiers and the compute components of the sensingcircuitry 150 in the sensing component stripes 124-0, 124-1, . . . ,124-N−1. FIG. 1C illustrates an instruction cache 171-1 associated withthe controller 140 and coupled to a write path 149 to each of thesubarrays 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 in the bank 121. In variousembodiments, the instruction cache 171-1 can be the same cache or can beassociated with an input data cache configured to receive data from thehost and signal to the controller that the data is received to initiateperformance of a stored sequence of a plurality of operations.

The instruction cache 171-1 can be used to receive and store a sequenceof instructions for operations to be performed with respect to datastored in the memory cells of the subarrays (e.g., received from thelogic component 160 described in connection with FIG. 1A). The writepath 149 can be used to allocate the instructions for performance ofeach operation by a different subarray controller 170-0, 170-1, . . . ,170-N−1 that is each individually coupled to a different subarray 125-0,125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 of memory cells and the associated sensingcomponent stripes 124-0, 124-1, . . . , 124-N−1. The sets ofinstructions for the operations performed by the subarray controllers170-0, 170-1, . . . , 170-N−1 can form at least a portion of the logic170 described in connection with FIG. 1A.

The subarray controllers 170-0, 170-1, . . . , 170-N−1 can be configuredto direct performance of operations (e.g., a single operation persubarray controller) upon data in a plurality of memory cells in eachsubarray 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 by the sensing circuitry. Forexample, each of the subarray controllers 170-0, 170-1, . . . , 170-N−1can, in some embodiments, store a set of instructions for performance ofa single operation. Whether the operation is actually performed isdependent upon the data processing implementation selected by the host110 and/or the controller 140 (e.g., whether the operation is part of asequence of instructions selected for particular incoming data). Invarious embodiments, the sensing circuitry associated with columns ofeach of the memory cells or a subset of the memory cells in a particularsubarray can be directed by the coupled subarray controller to performthe operation stored in the coupled subarray controller upon data storedin those memory cells. For example, depending upon the rate and/orvolume of unprocessed data input, a subset of the rows and/or columns ofa sequence of subarrays may be used for processing the data. The subsetof the rows and/or columns may be in corresponding or differentlocations in each of the sequence of subarrays.

Instructions can be executed by the subarray controllers 170-0, 170-1, .. . , 170-N−1 for performance or operations in sequence with respect tothe data stored in the subarrays 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1, as shownin FIG. 1C. As an example, an operation performed upon data stored inmemory cells in subarray 0 (125-0) may be an AND operation. The ANDoperation can be performed by sensing circuitry 150 in sensing componentstripe 0 (124-0) upon the data values.

Controller 140 can control movement of the data values upon which theoperation has been performed to particular memory cells in subarray 1(125-1), for example. Data values can, as described herein, be moved(e.g., transferred and/or transported) from a coupled sensing componentstripe to a coupled shared I/O line. In subarray 1 (125-1), an ORoperation may be performed as a second operation in the sequence, etc.The data values upon which the OR operation has been performed can bemoved (e.g., transferred and/or copied) from sensing component stripe 1(124-1) to particular memory cells in subarray 2 (125-2) in which a NORoperation may be performed as a third operation in the sequence. Thedata values upon which the NOR operation has been performed can be moved(e.g., transferred and/or copied) from sensing component stripe 2(124-2) to particular memory cells in subarray 3 (125-3) in which aSHIFT operation may be performed as a fourth operation in the sequence.

After the data values are sequentially moved (e.g., transferred and/orcopied) through a number of intervening subarrays, the data values canreach a last subarray in the sequence for final processing of the datavalues. For example, in subarray N−1 (125-N−1) an XOR operation can beenperformed as the final processing of the data values, which then can bemoved (e.g., transferred and/or copied) from sensing component stripeN−1 (124-N−1) for output 141 to, in some embodiments, a cache 571-2associated with the controller 540 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5 ).

The sequence of operations AND, OR, NOR, SHIFT, . . . , XOR arepresented by way of example as a subset of possible operations that areall different from each other, although embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not so limited. For example, any combination ofoperations usable in data processing can be implemented as describedherein, with some of the operations possibly being repeatedconsecutively and/or at intervals throughout the sequence and/or some ofthe possible operations potentially not being used in the sequence.

In a bank section 123, which can include a particular number ofsubarrays 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 (e.g., 32, 64, 128 subarrays,among other subarray configurations), a number of subarray controllersand/or sets of instructions for operations can correspond to the numberof subarrays. For example, for a bank section with 64 subarrays, asequence of instructions can be executed to perform 64 operations by 64separate subarray controllers, each individual subarray controller beingcoupled to a different subarray. However, embodiments are not solimited. For example, in some embodiments, an individual subarraycontroller can be configured to store a set of instructions such thatthe set of instructions can be executed to perform a single operation ora plurality of operations. The plurality of operations can be used fordifferent operations selectably applied to data stored in the memorycells of the subarray in different operations (e.g., for operationsperformed at different times) and/or to be selectably applied to datastored in a number of subsets of the rows and/or columns of thesubarrays (e.g., for different operations performed substantiallysimultaneously).

In some embodiments, any number of individual subarray controllers atany position in the bank section can be configured not to storeinstructions for an operation. For example, a bank section may have 64subarrays, but a sequence of instructions may be executed to performfewer operations, which can be stored in less than the 64 subarraycontrollers, such that some of the subarray controllers can beprogrammed to perform no operations. In some embodiments, the subarraycontrollers programmed to perform no operations can be positionedbetween subarray controllers that are programmed to perform operations(e.g., as a spacer).

When a first batch of unprocessed data has been input into subarray 0(125-0) and the data values have been processed and moved (e.g.,transferred and/or copied) to the next subarray 1 (125-1), a secondbatch of unprocessed data can be input into subarray 0 (125-0), followedby a third batch when the second batch input to subarray 0 (125-0) hasbeen moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied) to subarray 1 (125-1) andthe first batch has been moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied) tosubarray 2 (125-2), and so on. When at least two different batches ofunprocessed and/or partially processed are in at least two differentsubarrays of the bank section, the operation performed by the subarraycontroller of each subarray can be performed substantiallysimultaneously upon data stored in each selected memory cell of the atleast two different subarrays.

For example, when the latency of a sequence of 64 subarrays has expired,a sequence of 64 instructions can have the 64 operations substantiallysimultaneously performed in each of the sequence of 64 subarrays. Insequences of instructions that are executed to perform fewer operationsthan the number of subarrays in the bank section, a plurality ofsequences of such instructions (e.g., for different operations) can beexecuted in the subarrays of the same bank section. For example, in abank section having 64 subarrays, four of the same and/or differentsequences of 16 operations can be executed as sets of instructions infour 16 unit subsections of the 64 subarray controllers. Examples,however, are not so limited. For example, the number of operations to beperformed by execution of the sequences of instructions and/or thenumber of sequences of instructions can be different such that each ofthe operations can be more or less than 16 and/or the total of thesequences of operations can be more or less than four as long as thetotal number of subarrays does not exceed 64.

From whichever subarray in the bank section (e.g., from particular rowsand/or columns of memory cells in the subarray) performance of theoperations is completed for the sequence of instructions, the processeddata values can be output 141 to, in some embodiments, the cache 171-2associated with the controller 140. As such, every operational cycle ofthe memory device, following the latency, can output more than onecompletely processed batch of data in those embodiments that have aplurality of sequences of instructions to be executed as operations inthe subarray controllers coupled to a plurality of subarrays in a banksection. The controller 140, for example, can be configured to disregardnull data output during the latency period and/or null data thatotherwise is not output as a result of processing input of unprocesseddata, as described herein.

Implementations of PIM DRAM architecture may perform processing at thesense amplifier and compute component level. Implementations of PIM DRAMarchitecture may allow only a finite number of memory cells to beconnected to each sense amplifier (e.g., around 512 memory cells in someembodiments). A sensing component stripe 124 may include, for example,from around 8,000 to around 16,000 sense amplifiers. A sensing componentstripe 124 may be configured to couple to an array of, for example, 512rows and around 16,000 columns. A sensing component stripe can be usedas a building block to construct the larger memory. In an array for amemory device, there may be, for example, 32, 64, or 128 sensingcomponent stripes, which correspond to 32, 64, or 128 subarrays, asdescribed herein. Hence, for example, 512 rows times 128 sensingcomponent stripes would yield around 66,000 rows intersected by around16,000 columns to form around a 1 gigabit DRAM.

As such, when processing at the sense amplifier level, there are only512 rows of memory cells available to perform operations with each otherand it may not be possible to easily perform operations on multiple rowswhere data is coupled to different sensing component stripes. Toaccomplish processing of data in different subarrays coupled todifferent sensing component stripes, all the data to be processed may bemoved into the same subarray in order to be coupled to the same sensingcomponent stripe.

However, DRAM implementations have not been utilized to move data fromone sensing component stripe to another sensing component stripe. Asmentioned, a sensing component stripe can contain as many as 16,000sense amplifiers, which corresponds to around 16,000 columns or around16,000 data values (e.g., bits) of data to be stored (e.g., cached) fromeach row. A DRAM DQ data bus (e.g., as shown at 156 in FIGS. 1A and 1B)may be configured as a 64 bit part. As such, to move (e.g., transferand/or copy) the entire data from a 16,000 bit row from one sensingcomponent stripe to another sensing component stripe using a DRAM DQdata bus would take, for instance, 256 cycles (e.g., 16,000 divided by64).

In order to achieve data movement conducted with a high speed, rate,and/or efficiency from one sensing component stripe to another in PIMDRAM implementations, shared I/O lines 155 are described herein. Forexample, with 2048 shared I/O lines configured as a 2048 bit wide sharedI/O line 155, movement of data from a full row, as just described, wouldtake 8 cycles, a 32 times increase in the speed, rate, and/or efficiencyof data movement. As such, compared to other PIM DRAM implementations,utilization of the structures and processes described herein my savetime for data movement (e.g., by not having to read data out of onebank, bank section, and subarray thereof, storing the data, and thenwriting the data in another location) and by reducing the number ofcycles for data movement.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating sensing circuitry 250 inaccordance with a number of embodiments of the present disclosure. Thesensing circuitry 250 can correspond to sensing circuitry 150 shown inFIG. 1A.

A memory cell can include a storage element (e.g., capacitor) and anaccess device (e.g., transistor). For instance, a first memory cell caninclude transistor 202-1 and capacitor 203-1, and a second memory cellcan include transistor 202-2 and capacitor 203-2, etc. In thisembodiment, the memory array 230 is a DRAM array of 1T1C (one transistorone capacitor) memory cells, although other embodiments ofconfigurations can be used (e.g., 2T2C with two transistors and twocapacitors per memory cell). In a number of embodiments, the memorycells may be destructive read memory cells (e.g., reading the datastored in the cell destroys the data such that the data originallystored in the cell is refreshed after being read).

The cells of the memory array 230 can be arranged in rows coupled byaccess (word) lines 204-X (Row X), 204-Y (Row Y), etc., and columnscoupled by pairs of complementary sense lines (e.g., digit linesDIGIT(D) and DIGIT(D)_ shown in FIG. 2 and DIGIT_0 and DIGIT_0* shown inFIGS. 3 and 4A-4B). The individual sense lines corresponding to eachpair of complementary sense lines can also be referred to as digit lines205-1 for DIGIT (D) and 205-2 for DIGIT (D)_, respectively, orcorresponding reference numbers in FIGS. 3 and 4A-4B. Although only onepair of complementary digit lines are shown in FIG. 2 , embodiments ofthe present disclosure are not so limited, and an array of memory cellscan include additional columns of memory cells and digit lines (e.g.,4,096, 8,192, 16,384, etc.).

Although rows and columns are illustrated as orthogonally oriented in aplane, embodiments are not so limited. For example, the rows and columnsmay be oriented relative to each other in any feasible three-dimensionalconfiguration. The rows and columns may be oriented at any anglerelative to each other, may be oriented in a substantially horizontalplane or a substantially vertical plane, and/or may be oriented in afolded topology, among other possible three-dimensional configurations.

Memory cells can be coupled to different digit lines and word lines. Forexample, a first source/drain region of a transistor 202-1 can becoupled to digit line 205-1 (D), a second source/drain region oftransistor 202-1 can be coupled to capacitor 203-1, and a gate of atransistor 202-1 can be coupled to word line 204-Y. A first source/drainregion of a transistor 202-2 can be coupled to digit line 205-2 (D)_, asecond source/drain region of transistor 202-2 can be coupled tocapacitor 203-2, and a gate of a transistor 202-2 can be coupled to wordline 204-X. A cell plate, as shown in FIG. 2 , can be coupled to each ofcapacitors 203-1 and 203-2. The cell plate can be a common node to whicha reference voltage (e.g., ground) can be applied in various memoryarray configurations.

The memory array 230 is configured to couple to sensing circuitry 250 inaccordance with a number of embodiments of the present disclosure. Inthis embodiment, the sensing circuitry 250 comprises a sense amplifier206 and a compute component 231 corresponding to respective columns ofmemory cells (e.g., coupled to respective pairs of complementary digitlines). The sense amplifier 206 can be coupled to the pair ofcomplementary digit lines 205-1 and 205-2. The compute component 231 canbe coupled to the sense amplifier 206 via pass gates 207-1 and 207-2.The gates of the pass gates 207-1 and 207-2 can be coupled to operationselection logic 213.

The operation selection logic 213 can be configured to include pass gatelogic for controlling pass gates that couple the pair of complementarydigit lines un-transposed between the sense amplifier 206 and thecompute component 231 and swap gate logic for controlling swap gatesthat couple the pair of complementary digit lines transposed between thesense amplifier 206 and the compute component 231. The operationselection logic 213 can also be coupled to the pair of complementarydigit lines 205-1 and 205-2. The operation selection logic 213 can beconfigured to control continuity of pass gates 207-1 and 207-2 based ona selected operation.

The sense amplifier 206 can be operated to determine a data value (e.g.,logic state) stored in a selected memory cell. The sense amplifier 206can comprise a cross coupled latch, which can be referred to herein as aprimary latch. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2 , the circuitrycorresponding to sense amplifier 206 comprises a latch 215 includingfour transistors coupled to a pair of complementary digit lines D 205-1and (D)_ 205-2. However, embodiments are not limited to this example.The latch 215 can be a cross coupled latch, e.g., gates of a pair oftransistors, such as n-channel transistors (e.g., NMOS transistors)227-1 and 227-2 are cross coupled with the gates of another pair oftransistors, such as p-channel transistors (e.g., PMOS transistors)229-1 and 229-2). The cross coupled latch 215 comprising transistors227-1, 227-2, 229-1, and 229-2 can be referred to as a primary latch.

In operation, when a memory cell is being sensed (e.g., read), thevoltage on one of the digit lines 205-1 (D) or 205-2 (D)_ will beslightly greater than the voltage on the other one of digit lines 205-1(D) or 205-2 (D)_. An ACT signal and an RNL* signal can be driven low toenable (e.g., fire) the sense amplifier 206. The digit lines 205-1 (D)or 205-2 (D)_ having the lower voltage will turn on one of the PMOStransistor 229-1 or 229-2 to a greater extent than the other of PMOStransistor 229-1 or 229-2, thereby driving high the digit line 205-1 (D)or 205-2 (D)_ having the higher voltage to a greater extent than theother digit line 205-1 (D) or 205-2 (D)_ is driven high.

Similarly, the digit line 205-1 (D) or 205-2 (D)_ having the highervoltage will turn on one of the NMOS transistor 227-1 or 227-2 to agreater extent than the other of the NMOS transistor 227-1 or 227-2,thereby driving low the digit line 205-1 (D) or 205-2 (D)_ having thelower voltage to a greater extent than the other digit line 205-1 (D) or205-2 (D)_ is driven low. As a result, after a short delay, the digitline 205-1 (D) or 205-2 (D)_ having the slightly greater voltage isdriven to the voltage of the supply voltage V_(CC) through a sourcetransistor, and the other digit line 205-1 (D) or 205-2 (D)_ is drivento the voltage of the reference voltage (e.g., ground) through a sinktransistor. Therefore, the cross coupled NMOS transistors 227-1 and227-2 and PMOS transistors 229-1 and 229-2 serve as a sense amplifierpair, which amplify the differential voltage on the digit lines 205-1(D) and 205-2 (D)_ and operate to latch a data value sensed from theselected memory cell. As used herein, the cross coupled latch of senseamplifier 206 may be referred to as a primary latch 215.

Embodiments are not limited to the sense amplifier 206 configurationillustrated in FIG. 2 . As an example, the sense amplifier 206 can be acurrent-mode sense amplifier and a single-ended sense amplifier (e.g.,sense amplifier coupled to one digit line). Also, embodiments of thepresent disclosure are not limited to a folded digit line architecturesuch as that shown in FIG. 2 .

The sense amplifier 206 can, in conjunction with the compute component231, be operated to perform various operations using data from an arrayas input. In a number of embodiments, the result of an operation can bestored back to the array without transferring the data via a digit lineaddress access (e.g., without firing a column decode signal such thatdata is transferred to circuitry external from the array and sensingcircuitry via local I/O lines). As such, a number of embodiments of thepresent disclosure can enable performing operations and computefunctions associated therewith using less power than various previousapproaches. Additionally, since a number of embodiments eliminate theneed to transfer data across local and global I/O lines in order toperform compute functions (e.g., between memory and discrete processor),a number of embodiments can enable an increased (e.g., faster)processing capability as compared to previous approaches.

The sense amplifier 206 can further include equilibration circuitry 214,which can be configured to equilibrate the digit lines 205-1 (D) and205-2 (D)_. In this example, the equilibration circuitry 214 comprises atransistor 224 coupled between digit lines 205-1 (D) and 205-2 (D)_. Theequilibration circuitry 214 also comprises transistors 225-1 and 225-2each having a first source/drain region coupled to an equilibrationvoltage (e.g., V_(DD)/2), where V_(DD) is a supply voltage associatedwith the array. A second source/drain region of transistor 225-1 can becoupled digit line 205-1 (D), and a second source/drain region oftransistor 225-2 can be coupled digit line 205-2 (D)_. Gates oftransistors 224, 225-1, and 225-2 can be coupled together, and to anequilibration (EQ) control signal line 226. As such, activating EQenables (e.g., activates) the transistors 224, 225-1, and 225-2, whicheffectively shorts digit lines 205-1 (D) and 205-2 (D)_ together and tothe equilibration voltage (e.g., V_(CC)/2).

Although FIG. 2 shows sense amplifier 206 comprising the equilibrationcircuitry 214, embodiments are not so limited, and the equilibrationcircuitry 214 may be implemented discretely from the sense amplifier206, implemented in a different configuration than that shown in FIG. 2, or not implemented at all.

As described further below, in a number of embodiments, the sensingcircuitry 250 (e.g., sense amplifier 206 and compute component 231) canbe operated to perform a selected operation and initially store theresult in one of the sense amplifier 206 or the compute component 231without transferring data from the sensing circuitry via a local orglobal I/O line (e.g., without performing a sense line address accessvia activation of a column decode signal, for instance).

Performance of various types of operations can be implemented. Forexample, Boolean operations (e.g., Boolean logical functions involvingdata values) are used in many higher level applications. Consequently,speed and power efficiencies that can be realized with improvedperformance of the operations may provide improved speed and/or powerefficiencies for these applications.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the compute component 231 can also comprise alatch, which can be referred to herein as a secondary latch 264. Thesecondary latch 264 can be configured and operated in a manner similarto that described above with respect to the primary latch 215, with theexception that the pair of cross coupled p-channel transistors (e.g.,PMOS transistors) included in the secondary latch can have theirrespective sources coupled to a supply voltage (e.g., V_(DD)), and thepair of cross coupled n-channel transistors (e.g., NMOS transistors) ofthe secondary latch can have their respective sources selectivelycoupled to a reference voltage (e.g., ground), such that the secondarylatch is continuously enabled. The configuration of the computecomponent 231 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2 , and various otherembodiments are feasible.

In various embodiments, connection circuitry 232-1 can, for example, becoupled at 217-1 and connection circuitry 232-2 can be coupled at 217-1to the primary latch 215 for movement of sensed and/or stored datavalues. The sensed and/or stored data values can be moved to a selectedmemory cell in a particular row and/or column of another subarray via ashared I/O line, as described herein, and/or directly to the selectedmemory cell in the particular row and/or column of the other subarrayvia connection circuitry 232-1 and 232-2. Although FIG. 2 showsconnection circuitry 232-1 and 232-2 to be coupled at 217-1 and 217-2,respectively, of the primary latch 215, embodiments are not so limited.For example, connection circuitry 232-1 and 232-2 can, for example, becoupled to the secondary latch 264 for movement of the sensed and/orstored data values, among other possible locations for couplingconnection circuitry 232-1 and 232-2.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating circuitry for data movementin a memory device in accordance with a number of embodiments of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 3 shows eight sense amplifiers (e.g., senseamplifiers 0, 1, . . . , 7 shown at 306-0, 306-1, . . . , 306-7,respectively) each coupled to a respective pair of complementary senselines (e.g., digit lines 305-1 and 305-2). FIG. 3 also shows eightcompute components (e.g., compute components 0, 1, . . . , 7 shown at331-0, 331-1, . . . , 331-7) each coupled to a respective senseamplifier (e.g., as shown for sense amplifier 0 at 306-0) via respectivepass gates and digit lines 307-1 and 307-2. For example, the pass gatescan be connected as shown in FIG. 2 and can be controlled by anoperation selection signal, Pass. For example, an output of theselection logic can be coupled to the gates of the pass gates and digitlines 307-1 and 307-2. Corresponding pairs of the sense amplifiers andcompute components can contribute to formation of the sensing circuitryindicated at 350-0, 350-1, . . . , 350-7.

Data values present on the pair of complementary digit lines 305-1 and305-2 can be loaded into the compute component 331-0 as described inconnection with FIG. 2 . For example, when the pass gates are enabled,data values on the pair of complementary digit lines 305-1 and 305-2 canbe passed from the sense amplifiers to the compute component (e.g.,306-0 to 331-0). The data values on the pair of complementary digitlines 305-1 and 305-2 can be the data value stored in the senseamplifier 306-0 when the sense amplifier is fired.

The sense amplifiers 306-0, 306-1, . . . , 306-7 in FIG. 3 can eachcorrespond to sense amplifier 206 shown in FIG. 2 . The computecomponents 331-0, 331-1, . . . , 331-7 shown in FIG. 3 can eachcorrespond to compute component 231 shown in FIG. 2 . A combination ofone sense amplifier with one compute component can contribute to thesensing circuitry (e.g., 350-0, 350-1, . . . , 350-7) of a portion of aDRAM memory subarray 325 configured to couple to a shared I/O line 355,as described herein. The paired combinations of the sense amplifiers306-0, 306-1, . . . , 306-7 and the compute components 331-0, 331-1, . .. , 331-7, shown in FIG. 3 , can be included in a sensing componentstripe, as shown at 124 in FIG. 1B and at 424 in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

The configurations of embodiments illustrated in FIG. 3 are shown forpurposes of clarity and are not limited to these configurations. Forinstance, the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 for the senseamplifiers 306-0, 306-1, . . . , 306-7 in combination with the computecomponents 331-0, 331-1, . . . , 331-7 and the shared I/O line 355 isnot limited to half the combination of the sense amplifiers 306-0,306-1, . . . , 306-7 with the compute components 331-0, 331-1, . . . ,331-7 of the sensing circuitry being formed above the columns 322 ofmemory cells (not shown) and half being formed below the columns 322 ofmemory cells. Nor are the number of such combinations of the senseamplifiers with the compute components forming the sensing circuitryconfigured to couple to a shared I/O line limited to eight. In addition,the configuration of the shared I/O line 355 is not limited to beingsplit into two for separately coupling each of the two sets ofcomplementary digit lines 305-1 and 305-2, nor is the positioning of theshared I/O line 355 limited to being in the middle of the combination ofthe sense amplifiers and the compute components forming the sensingcircuitry (e.g., rather than being at either end of the combination ofthe sense amplifiers and the compute components).

The circuitry illustrated in FIG. 3 also shows column select circuitry358-1 and 358-2 that is configured to implement data movement operationswith respect to particular columns 322 of a subarray 325, thecomplementary digit lines 305-1 and 305-2 associated therewith, and theshared I/O line 355 (e.g., as directed by the controller 140 shown inFIGS. 1A-1C). For example, column select circuitry 358-1 has selectlines 0, 2, 4, and 6 that are configured to couple with correspondingcolumns, such as column 0, column 2, column 4, and column 6. Columnselect circuitry 358-2 has select lines 1, 3, 5, and 7 that areconfigured to couple with corresponding columns, such as column 1,column 3, column 5, and column 7. The column select circuitry 358illustrated in connection with FIG. 3 can, in various examples,represent at least a portion of the functionality embodied by andcontained in the multiplexers 460 illustrated in connection with FIGS.4A and 4B.

Controller 140 can be coupled to column select circuitry 358 to controlselect lines (e.g., select line 0) to access data values stored in thesense amplifiers, compute components and/or present on the pair ofcomplementary digit lines (e.g., 305-1 and 305-2 when selectiontransistors 359-1 and 359-2 are activated via signals from column selectline 0). Activating the selection transistors 359-1 and 359-2 (e.g., asdirected by the controller 140) enables coupling of sense amplifier306-0, compute component 331-0, and/or complementary digit lines 305-1and 305-2 of column 0 (322-0) to move data values on digit line 0 anddigit line 0* to shared I/O line 355. For example, the moved data valuesmay be data values from a particular row 319 stored (cached) in senseamplifier 306-0 and/or compute component 331-0. Data values from each ofcolumns 0 through 7 can similarly be selected by controller 140activating the appropriate selection transistors.

Moreover, activating the selection transistors (e.g., selectiontransistors 359-1 and 359-2) enables a particular sense amplifier and/orcompute component (e.g., 306-0 and/or 331-0) to be coupled with a sharedI/O line 355 such that the sensed (stored) data values can be moved to(e.g., placed on and/or transferred to) the shared I/O line 355. In someembodiments, one column at a time is selected (e.g., column 322-0) to becoupled to a particular shared I/O line 355 to move (e.g., transferand/or copy) the sensed data values. In the example configuration ofFIG. 3 , the shared I/O line 355 is illustrated as a shared,differential I/O line pair (e.g., shared I/O line and shared I/O line*).Hence, selection of column 0 (322-0) could yield two data values (e.g.,two bits with values of 0 and/or 1) from a row (e.g., row 319) and/or asstored in the sense amplifier and/or compute component associated withcomplementary digit lines 305-1 and 305-2. These data values could bemoved (e.g., transferred, transported, and/or fed) in parallel to eachof the shared, differential I/O pair (e.g., shared I/O and shared I/O*)of the shared differential I/O line 355.

As described herein, a memory device (e.g., 120 in FIG. 1A) can beconfigured to couple to a host (e.g., 110) via a data bus (e.g., 156)and a control bus (e.g., 154). A bank in the memory device (e.g., 123 inFIG. 1B) can include a plurality of subarrays (e.g., 125-0, 125-1, . . ., 125-N−1 in FIGS. 1B and 1C) of memory cells and sensing circuitry(e.g., 150 in FIG. 1A) coupled to the plurality of subarrays via aplurality of columns (e.g., 122 in FIG. 1B) of the memory cells. Thesensing circuitry can include a sense amplifier and a compute component(e.g., 206 and 231, respectively, in FIG. 2 ) coupled to each of thecolumns.

The bank can include a plurality of subarray controllers (e.g., 170-0,170-1, . . . , 170-N−1 in FIG. 1C). Each subarray controller can becoupled to a respective subarray of the plurality of subarrays (e.g.,125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 in FIGS. 1B and 1C) and each subarraycontroller can be configured to direct performance of an operation withrespect to data stored in the respective subarray of the plurality ofsubarrays. For example, the subarray controllers can be individuallycoupled to each of the plurality of subarrays to direct execution of anoperation (e.g., a single operation) upon data stored in a plurality of(e.g., a selected subset of or all) memory cells in each of theplurality of subarrays.

The memory device can, in various embodiments, be configured to move adata value corresponding to a result of an operation with respect todata stored in a first subarray of the plurality of subarrays to amemory cell in a second subarray of the plurality of subarrays. Forexample, the sensing circuitry 150 can be configured to couple to theplurality of subarrays (e.g., via the shared I/O lines 355, columnselect circuitry 358, and/or the multiplexers 460 described herein) tomove a data value upon which a first operation has been performed in afirst subarray to a memory cell in a second subarray for performance ofa second operation.

In various embodiments, the first operation performed with respect tothe first subarray and the second operation performed with respect tothe second subarray can be a sequence (e.g., part of the sequence) of aplurality of operations with instructions executed by the plurality ofsubarray controllers individually coupled to each of the plurality ofsubarrays. A first set of instructions, when executed, can directperformance of the first operation on data stored in the first subarraythat, in some embodiments, can be different from the second operationperformed on data stored in the second subarray as directed by executionof a second set of instructions. The sensing circuitry can be configuredto couple to the plurality of subarrays to implement parallel movementof data values stored in the first subarray, upon which a firstoperation has been performed, to a plurality of memory cells in thesecond subarray.

The memory device can include a shared I/O line (e.g., 155 in FIG. 1C)configured to be coupled to the sensing circuitry of each of theplurality of subarrays to selectably implement movement of the datavalue stored in the first subarray, upon which the first operation hasbeen performed, to the memory cell in the second subarray. In variousembodiments, the memory device can include a plurality of shared I/Olines (e.g., 355 in FIGS. 3 and 455-1, 455-2 , . . . , 455-M in FIGS. 4Aand 4B) configured to couple to the sensing circuitry of each of theplurality of subarrays to selectably implement parallel movement of aplurality of data values stored in the first subarray, upon which thefirst operation has been performed, to a plurality of memory cells inthe second subarray.

The memory device can include a sensing component stripe (e.g., 124 inFIG. 1B and 424 in FIGS. 4A and 4B) configured to include a number of aplurality of sense amplifiers and compute components (e.g., 306-0,306-1, . . . , 306-7 and 331-0, 331-1, . . . , 331-7, respectively, asshown in FIG. 3 ) that can correspond to a number of the plurality ofcolumns (e.g., 305-1 and 305-2) of the memory cells, where the number ofsense amplifiers and compute components can be selectably coupled to theplurality of shared I/O lines (e.g., via column select circuitry 358-1and 358-2). The column select circuitry can be configured to selectablysense data in a particular column of memory cells of a subarray by beingselectably coupled to a plurality of (e.g., eight) sense amplifiers andcompute components.

In some embodiments, a number of a plurality of sensing componentstripes (e.g., 124-0, . . . , 124-N in FIGS. 1B and 1C) in the bank ofthe memory device can correspond to a number of the plurality ofsubarrays (e.g., 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 in FIGS. 1B and 1C) inthe bank. A sensing component stripe can include a number of senseamplifiers and compute components configured to move (e.g., transferand/or transport) an amount of data sensed from a row of the firstsubarray in parallel to a plurality of shared I/O lines. In someembodiments, the amount of data can correspond to at least a thousandbit width of the plurality of shared I/O lines.

As described herein, the array of memory cells can include animplementation of DRAM memory cells where the controller is configured,in response to a command, to move data from the source location to thedestination location via a shared I/O line. The source location can bein a first bank and the destination location can be in a second bank inthe memory device and/or the source location can be in a first subarrayof one bank in the memory device and the destination location can be ina second subarray of the same bank. The first subarray and the secondsubarray can be in the same section of the bank or the subarrays can bein different sections of the bank.

As described herein, the apparatus can be configured to move data from asource location, including a particular row (e.g., 319 in FIG. 3 ) andcolumn address associated with a first number of sense amplifiers andcompute components (e.g., 406-0 and 431-0, respectively) in subarray 0(425-0) to a shared I/O line (e.g., 455-1). In addition, the apparatuscan be configured to move the data to a destination location, includinga particular row and column address associated with a second number ofsense amplifier and compute component (e.g., 406-0 and 431-0,respectively, in subarray N−1 (425-N−1) using the shared I/O line (e.g.,455-1). As the reader will appreciate, each shared I/O line (e.g.,455-1) can actually include a complementary pair of shared I/O lines(e.g., shared I/O line and shared I/O line* as shown in the exampleconfiguration of FIG. 3 ). In some embodiments described herein, 2048shared I/O lines (e.g., complementary pairs of shared I/O lines) can beconfigured as a 2048 bit wide shared I/O line.

FIGS. 4A and 4B represent another schematic diagram illustratingcircuitry for data movement in a memory device in accordance with anumber of embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIGS.1B and 1C and shown in more detail in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a bank section ofa DRAM memory device can include a plurality of subarrays, which areindicated in FIGS. 4A and 4B at 425-0 as subarray 0 and at 425-N−1 assubarray N−1.

FIGS. 4A and 4B, which are to be considered as horizontally connected,illustrate that each subarray (e.g., subarray 425-0) partly shown inFIG. 4A and partly shown in FIG. 4B) can have a number of associatedsense amplifiers 406-0, 406-1, . . . , 406-X−1 and compute components431-0, 431-1, . . . , 431-X−1. For example, each subarray, 425-0, . . ., 425-N−1, can have one or more associated sensing component stripes(e.g., 124-0, . . . , 124-N−1 in FIG. 1B). According to embodimentsdescribed herein, each subarray, 425-0, . . . , 425-N−1, can be splitinto portions 462-1 (shown in FIG. 4A), 462-2, . . . , 462-M (shown inFIG. 4B). The portions 462-1, . . . , 462-M may be defined by coupling aselectable number (e.g., 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.) of the sense amplifiers andcompute components (e.g., sensing circuitry 150), along with thecorresponding columns (e.g., 422-0, 422-1, . . . , 422-7) among columns422-0, . . . , 422-X−1, to a given shared I/O line (e.g., 455-M).Corresponding pairs of the sense amplifiers and compute components cancontribute to formation of the sensing circuitry indicated at 450-0,450-1, . . . , 450-X−1 in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4A, and 4B, the particularnumber of the sense amplifiers and compute components, along with thecorresponding columns, that can be selectably coupled to a shared I/Oline 455 (which may be a pair of shared differential lines) can beeight. The number of portions 462-1, 462-2, . . . , 462-M of thesubarray can be the same as the number of shared I/O lines 455-1, 455,2, . . . , 455-M that can be coupled to the subarray. The subarrays canbe arranged according to various DRAM architectures for coupling sharedI/O lines 455-1, 455, 2, . . . , 455-M between subarrays 425-0, 425-1, .. . , 425-N−1.

For example, portion 462-1 of subarray 0 (425-0) in FIG. 4A cancorrespond to the portion of the subarray illustrated in FIG. 3 . Assuch, sense amplifier 0 (406-0) and compute component 0 (431-0) can becoupled to column 422-0. As described herein, a column can be configuredto include a pair of complementary digit lines referred to as digit line0 and digit line 0*. However, alternative embodiments can include asingle digit line 405-0 (sense line) for a single column of memorycells. Embodiments are not so limited. The column select circuitry 358illustrated in FIG. 3 and/or the multiplexers illustrated in FIGS. 4Aand 4B can selectably sense data in a particular column of memory cellsof a subarray by being selectably coupled to at least one of the senseamplifier and compute component coupled to a respective sense line ofthe particular column.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 1C and shown in more detail in FIGS. 4Aand 4B, a sensing component stripe can, in various embodiments, extendfrom one end of a subarray to an opposite end of the subarray. Forexample, as shown for subarray 0 (425-0), sensing component stripe 0(424-0), which is shown schematically above and below the DRAM columnsin a folded sense line architecture, can include and extend from senseamplifier 0 (406-0) and compute component 0 (431-0) in portion 462-1 tosense amplifier X−1 (406-X−1) and compute component X−1 (431-X−1) inportion 462-M of subarray 0 (425-0).

As described in connection with FIG. 3 , the configuration illustratedin FIGS. 4A and 4B for the sense amplifiers 406-0, 406-1, . . . ,406-X−1 in combination with the compute components 431-0, 431-1, . . . ,431-X−1 and shared I/O line 0 (455-1) through shared I/O line M−1(455-M) is not limited to half the combination of the sense amplifierswith the compute components of the sensing circuitry (450) being formedabove the columns of memory cells and half being formed below thecolumns of memory cells 422-0, 422-1, . . . , 422-X−1 in a folded DRAMarchitecture. For example, in various embodiments, a sensing componentstripe 424 for a particular subarray 425 can be formed with any numberof the sense amplifiers and compute components of the sensing componentstripe being formed above and below the columns of memory cells.Accordingly, in some embodiments as illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 1C, allof the sense amplifiers and compute components of the sensing circuitryand corresponding sensing component stripes can be formed above or belowthe columns of memory cells.

As described in connection with FIG. 3 , each subarray can have columnselect circuitry (e.g., 358) that is configured to implement datamovement operations on particular columns 422 of a subarray, such assubarray 0 (425-0), and the complementary digit lines thereof, couplingstored data values from the sense amplifiers 406 and/or computecomponents 431 to given shared I/O lines 455-1, . . . , 455-M (e.g.,complementary shared I/O lines 355 in FIG. 3 ). For example, thecontroller 140 can direct that data values of memory cells in aparticular row (e.g., row 319) of subarray 0 (425-0) be sensed and movedto a same or different numbered row of subarrays 425-1, 425-2, . . . ,425-N−1 in a same or different numbered column. For example, in someembodiments, the data values can be moved from a portion of a firstsubarray to a different portion of a second subarray (e.g., notnecessarily from portion 462-1 of subarray 0 to portion 462-1 ofsubarray N−1). For example, in some embodiments data values may be movedfrom a column in portion 462-1 to a column in portion 462-M usingshifting techniques.

The column select circuitry (e.g., 358 in FIG. 3 ) can direct movement(e.g., sequential movement) of each of the eight columns (e.g.,digit/digit*) in the portion of the subarray (e.g., portion 462-1 ofsubarray 425-0) for a particular row such that the sense amplifiers andcompute components of the sensing component stripe (e.g., 424-0) forthat portion can store (cache) and move all data values to the sharedI/O line in a particular order (e.g., in an order in which the columnswere sensed). With complementary digit lines, digit/digit*, andcomplementary shared I/O lines 355, for each of eight columns, there canbe 16 data values (e.g., bits) sequenced to the shared I/O line from oneportion of the subarray such that one data value (e.g., bit) is moved(e.g., transferred, transported, and/or fed) to each of thecomplementary shared I/O lines at a time from each of the senseamplifiers and compute components.

As such, with 2048 portions of subarrays each having eight columns(e.g., subarray portion 462-1 of each of subarrays 425-0, 425-1, . . . ,, 425-N−1), and each configured to couple to a different shared I/O line(e.g., 455-1 through 455-M) 2048 data values (e.g., bits) could be movedto the plurality of shared I/O lines at substantially the same point intime (e.g., in parallel). Accordingly, the plurality of shared I/O linesmight be, for example, at least a thousand bits wide (e.g., 2048 bitswide), such as to increase the speed, rate, and/or efficiency of datamovement in a DRAM implementation (e.g., relative to a 64 bit wide datapath).

As illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, in each subarray (e.g., subarray425-0) one or more multiplexers 460-1 and 460-2 can be coupled to thesense amplifiers and compute components of each portion 462-1, 462-2, .. . , 462-M of the sensing component stripe 424-0 for the subarray. Themultiplexers 460 illustrated in connection with FIGS. 4A and 4B can, invarious embodiments, be inclusive of at least the functionality embodiedby and contained in the column select circuitry 358 illustrated inconnection with FIG. 3 . The multiplexers 460-1 and 460-2 can beconfigured to access, select, receive, coordinate, combine, and move(e.g., transfer and/or transport) the data values (e.g., bits) stored(cached) by the number of selected sense amplifiers and computecomponents in a portion (e.g., portion 462-1) of the subarray to theshared I/O line (e.g., shared I/O line 455-1). As such, a shared I/Oline, as described herein, can be configured to couple a source locationand a destination location between pairs of bank section subarrays forimproved data movement.

As described herein, a controller (e.g., 140) can be coupled to a bankof a memory device (e.g., 121) to execute a command to move data in thebank from a source location (e.g., subarray 425-0) to a destinationlocation (e.g., subarray 425-N−1). A bank section can, in variousembodiments, include a plurality of subarrays of memory cells in thebank section (e.g., subarrays 125-0 through 125-N−1 and 425-0 through425-N−1). The bank section can, in various embodiments, further includesensing circuitry (e.g., 150) coupled to the plurality of subarrays viaa plurality of columns (e.g., 322-0, 422-0, and 422-1) of the memorycells. The sensing circuitry can include a sense amplifier and a computecomponent (e.g., 206 and 231, respectively, in FIG. 2 and atcorresponding reference numbers in FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B) coupled to eachof the columns and configured to implement the command to move the data.

The bank section can, in various embodiments, further include a sharedI/O line (e.g., 155, 355, 455-1, and 455-M) to couple the sourcelocation and the destination location to move the data. In addition, thecontroller can be configured to direct the plurality of subarrays and tothe sensing circuitry to perform a data write operation on the moveddata to the destination location in the bank section (e.g., a selectedmemory cell in a particular row and/or column of a different selectedsubarray).

According to various embodiments, the apparatus can include a sensingcomponent stripe (e.g., 124 and 424) including a number of senseamplifiers and compute components that corresponds to a number ofcolumns of the memory cells (e.g., where each column of memory cells isconfigured to couple to a sense amplifier and a compute component). Thenumber of sensing component stripes in the bank section (e.g., 424-0through 424-N−1) can correspond to a number of subarrays in the banksection (e.g., 425-0 through 425-N−1).

The number of sense amplifiers and compute components can be selectably(e.g., sequentially) coupled to the shared I/O line (e.g., as shown bycolumn select circuitry at 358-1, 358-2, 359-1, and 359-2 in FIG. 3 ).The column select circuitry can be configured to selectably couple ashared I/O line to, for example, one or more of eight sense amplifiersand compute components in the source location (e.g., as shown insubarray 325 in FIG. 3 and subarray portions 462-1 through 462-M inFIGS. 4A and 4B). As such, the eight sense amplifiers and computecomponents in the source location can be sequentially coupled to theshared I/O line. According to some embodiments, a number of shared I/Olines formed in the array can correspond to a division of a number ofcolumns in the array by the eight sense amplifiers and computecomponents that can be selectably coupled to each of the shared I/Olines. For example, when there are 16,384 columns in the array (e.g.,bank section), or in each subarray thereof, and one sense amplifier andcompute component per column, 16,384 columns divided by eight yields2048 shared I/O lines. The apparatus can, in various embodiments,include a number of multiplexers (e.g., as shown at 460-1 and 460-2 inportions 462-1 through 462-M of various subarrays in FIGS. 4A and 4B).As such, according to various embodiments, the apparatus can include aplurality of sense amplifiers and compute components and a multiplexerto select a sense amplifier and a compute component to couple to theshared I/O line. The multiplexers can be formed between the senseamplifiers and compute components and the shared I/O line to access,select, receive, coordinate, combine, and move (e.g., transfer and/ortransport) selected data to the coupled shared I/O line.

As described herein, an array of memory cells can include a column ofmemory cells having a pair of complementary sense (digit) lines (e.g.,305-1 and 305-2 in FIG. 3 ). The sensing circuitry can, in someembodiments, include a sense amplifier (e.g., 306-0) selectably coupledto each of the pair of complementary sense (digit) lines and a computecomponent (e.g., 331-0) coupled to the sense amplifier via pass gates(e.g., 307-1 and 307-2).

According to some embodiments, a source sensing component stripe (e.g.,124 and 424) can include a number of sense amplifiers and computecomponents that can be selected and configured to move (e.g., transferand/or transport) data values (e.g., a number of bits) sensed from a rowof the source location in parallel to a plurality of shared I/O lines.For example, in response to commands for sequential sensing through thecolumn select circuitry, the data values stored in memory cells ofselected columns of a row of the subarray can be sensed by and stored(cached) in the sense amplifiers and compute components of the sensingcomponent stripe until a number of data values (e.g., the number ofbits) reaches the number of data values stored in the row and/or athreshold (e.g., the number of sense amplifiers and compute componentsin the sensing component stripe) and then move (e.g., transfer and/ortransport) the data values via the plurality of shared I/O lines. Insome embodiments, the threshold amount of data can correspond to the atleast a thousand bit width of the plurality of shared I/O lines.

In some embodiments, the source sensing component stripe can include anumber of sense amplifiers and compute components that can be selectedand configured to store data values (e.g., bits) sensed from a row ofthe source location when an amount of sensed data values (e.g., thenumber of data bits) exceeds the at least a thousand bit width of theplurality of shared I/O lines. In this embodiment, the source sensingcomponent stripe can be configured to move (e.g., transfer and/ortransport) the data values sensed from the row of the source locationwhen coupled to the plurality of shared I/O lines as a plurality ofsubsets. For example, the amount of at least a first subset of the datavalues can correspond to the at least a thousand bit width of theplurality of shared I/O lines.

The controller can, as described herein, be configured to move the datavalues from a selected row and a selected sense line in the sourcelocation to a selected row and a selected sense line in the destinationlocation via the shared I/O line. In various embodiments, the datavalues can be moved in response to commands by the controller 140 and/ora particular subarray controller 170-0, 170-1, . . . , 170-N−1 coupledto a particular subarray 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1, and/or aparticular sensing component stripe 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 of thesubarray. According to various embodiments, a selected row and aselected sense line in the source location (e.g., a first subarray)input to the controller can be different from a selected row and aselected sense line in the destination location (e.g., a secondsubarray).

As described herein, a location of the data in memory cells of theselected row and the selected sense line in a source subarray can bedifferent from a location of the data moved to memory cells of aselected row and the selected source line in a destination subarray. Forexample, the source location may be a particular row and digit lines ofportion 462-1 of subarray 0 (425-0) in FIG. 4A and the destination maybe a different row and digit lines of portion 462-M in subarray N−1(425-N−1) in FIG. 4B.

As described herein, a destination sensing component stripe (e.g., 124and 424) can be the same as a source sensing component stripe. Forexample, a plurality of sense amplifiers and/or compute components canbe selected and configured (e.g., depending on the command from thecontroller and/or subarray controllers 170-0, 170-1, . . . , 170-N−1) toselectably move (e.g., transfer and/or transport) sensed data to thecoupled shared I/O line and selectably receive the data from one of aplurality of coupled shared I/O lines (e.g., to be moved to thedestination location). Selection of sense amplifiers and computecomponents in the destination sensing component stripe can be performedusing the column select circuitry (e.g., 358-1, 358-2, 359-1, and 359-2in FIG. 3 ) and/or the multiplexers described herein (e.g., 460-1 and460-2 in FIGS. 4A and 4B).

The controller can, according to some embodiments, be configured towrite an amount of data (e.g., a number of data bits) selectablyreceived by the plurality of selected sense amplifiers and/or computecomponents in the destination sensing component stripe to a selected rowand a selected sense line of the destination location in the destinationsubarray. In some embodiments, the amount of data to write correspondsto the at least a thousand bit width of a plurality of shared I/O lines.

The destination sensing component stripe can, according to someembodiments, include a plurality of selected sense amplifiers andcompute components configured to store received data values (e.g., bits)when an amount of received data values (e.g., the number of data bits)exceeds the at least a thousand bit width of the plurality of shared I/Olines. The controller can, according to some embodiments, be configuredto write the stored data values (e.g., the number of data bits) to aselected row and a plurality of selected sense lines in the destinationlocation as a plurality of subsets. In some embodiments, the amount ofdata values of at least a first subset of the written data cancorrespond to the at least a thousand bit width of the plurality ofshared I/O lines. According to some embodiments, the controller can beconfigured to write the stored data values (e.g., the number of databits) to the selected row and the selected sense line in the destinationlocation as a single set (e.g., not as subsets of data values).

As described herein, a controller (e.g., 140) can be coupled to a bank(e.g., 121) of a memory device (e.g., 120) to execute a command formovement of data in the bank. A bank in the memory device can include aplurality of subarrays (e.g., 125-0, 125-1, . . . , 125-N−1 as shown inFIGS. 1B and 1C and 425-0, 425-1 , . . . , 425-N−1 as shown in FIGS. 4Aand 4B) of memory cells, a plurality of subarray controllers (e.g.,170-0, 170-1, . . . , 170-N−1 in FIG. 1C) individually coupled to eachof the plurality of subarrays to direct performance of an operation(e.g., a single operation) upon data stored in a plurality (e.g., aselected subset or all) of the memory cells by the sensing circuitry ineach of the plurality of subarrays.

The bank also can include sensing circuitry (e.g., 150 in FIG. 1A and250 in FIG. 2 ) on pitch with the plurality of subarrays and coupled tothe plurality of subarrays (e.g., via a plurality of sense lines 205-1and 205-2 in FIGS. 2, 305-1 and 305-2 and at corresponding referencenumbers in FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B). The sensing circuitry can include asense amplifier and a compute component (e.g., 206 and 231,respectively, in FIG. 2 and at corresponding reference numbers in FIGS.3, 4A and 4B) coupled to a sense line.

The controller 140 can be configured to provide a respective set ofinstructions to each of the plurality of subarray controllers (e.g.,170-0, 170-1, . . . , 170-N−1). For example, the controller can beconfigured to couple to the plurality of subarray controllers to input arespective set of instructions to be executed by each of the pluralityof subarray controllers to direct performance of a respective operationby the sensing circuitry.

The plurality of subarrays of memory cells can be subarrays of DRAMcells. The controller can be configured to systolically move the datavalues between sequential subarrays in the bank of memory cells, inresponse to a command, using a DRAM protocol and DRAM logical andelectrical interfaces, as described herein. In some embodiments, a host(e.g., 110 in FIG. 1A) can provide the data to the controller for thecontroller to execute the command for systolic movement of the data.

A first cache (e.g., 171-1 in FIG. 1C) can be associated with thecontroller. The first cache can be configured to receive data from thehost and signal to the controller 140 that the data is received toinitiate performance of a stored sequence of a plurality of operations.The controller can be configured to determine, based upon input of thedata (e.g., analysis of the type and/or content of the unprocessed datain the cache), which of a plurality of sequences of operations performedby the subarray controllers coupled to the plurality of subarrays isappropriate for processing of the data. Accordingly, the controller canbe configured to provide (e.g., input) the data to a particular subarraybased upon a particular subarray controller coupled to the particularsubarray performing a first operation in the appropriate storedcontiguous sequence of operations. For example, the particular subarraycan be coupled to a particular subarray controller configured to executea first set of instructions to direct performance of a first operationin the appropriate stored contiguous sequence of operations upon datastored in the plurality of memory cells.

In various embodiments, connection circuitry (e.g., 232-1 and 232-2 inFIG. 2 ) can be configured to connect sensing circuitry coupled to aparticular column in a first subarray to a number of rows in acorresponding column in a second (e.g., adjacent) subarray. As such, theconnection circuitry can be configured to move (e.g., transfer and/ortransport) a data value (e.g., from a selected row and the particularcolumn) to a selected row and the corresponding column in the secondsubarray (e.g., the data value can be copied to a selected memory celltherein) for performance of a next operation in a sequence ofoperations. In some embodiments, the movement of the data value can bedirected by the subarray controller of the first subarray executing aset of instructions when the data value is stored in the sensingcircuitry and the controller can select a particular row and/or aparticular memory cell intersected by the corresponding column in thesecond subarray to receive the data value by movement (e.g., transferand/or transport) of the data value.

The controller (e.g., 140) can be coupled to the bank of the memorydevice to execute a command for movement of data from a start locationto an end location in the bank. The plurality of subarray controllers(e.g., 170-0, 170-1, . . . , 170-N−1 in FIG. 1C) can be configured tocouple to the controller to receive a respective set of instructions byeach of the plurality of subarray controllers to direct performance ofthe operation with respect to data stored in each of the plurality ofsubarrays. For example, the plurality of subarray controllers can beconfigured to couple to the controller to receive input of a set ofinstructions into each of the plurality of subarray controllers to, whenexecuted, direct performance of the operation on data of each respectivesubarray of the plurality of subarrays (e.g., 125-0, 125-1, . . . ,125-N−1 in FIGS. 1B and 1C and at corresponding reference numbers inFIGS. 4A and 4B). In various embodiments, the plurality of subarrays caninclude a plurality of sets of instructions to execute performance ofdifferent sequences of operations stored by the subarray controllers fora plurality of contiguous subsets of the subarrays (e.g., configured forprocessing of different data content).

The controller can be configured to provide (e.g., input) data to aparticular subarray based upon a particular subarray controller coupledto the particular subarray being configured to execute a first set ofinstructions for an appropriate contiguous sequence of operations. Theparticular subarray controller coupled to the particular subarray can bethe start location in the bank for performance of the appropriate storedcontiguous sequence of operations (e.g., based upon the analysis of thetype and/or content of the unprocessed data in the cache).

The particular subarray that is the start location can, in variousembodiments, have at least one contiguous sequence of operations for aplurality of subarrays stored between the start location and a beginningof a first subarray in the bank. For example, the start locationdetermined to be appropriate for the unprocessed data by the controllermay be subarray 125-3 in FIG. 1C with the three subarrays 125-0, 125-1,and 125-2 being the first subarrays in the bank.

In various embodiments, completed performance of a contiguous sequenceof a number of operations can be configured to yield an output at theend location in the subarrays of the bank, where a particular subarrayat the end location has at least one subarray between the end locationand an end of a last subarray in the bank. For example, the end locationat which the number of operations is completed to yield the output maybe subarray 125-3 in FIG. 1C with subarray 125-N−1 being the lastsubarray in the bank. The stored contiguous sequence of operationsdetermined to be appropriate as the start location for input of theunprocessed data can have a plurality of subarrays between the startlocation and the beginning of the first subarray and an end locationthat has at least one subarray between the end location and the end ofthe last subarray. For example, the stored contiguous sequence ofoperations determined to be appropriate, and into which the unprocesseddata is input, can be in the middle of a stack of subarrays, asdescribed herein.

A second cache (e.g., 571-2 in FIG. 5 ) can be associated with thecontroller. The second cache can be configured to receive output ofcompleted performance of a sequence of operations from the plurality ofsubarrays. The second cache can be configured to signal to thecontroller (e.g., 540 in FIG. 5 ) to initiate another iteration ofperformance of the sequence of operations by input of new received datato selected memory cells in a subarray (e.g., in particular columnsand/or rows of the subarray) at the start location after the latency hasexpired. Prior to expiry of the latency, new received data also can beinput For example, as described in connection with FIG. 5 , a secondbatch of unprocessed data can be input into a first subarray 525-0 to beprocessed by performance of an AND operation after a first batch ofunprocessed data has been processed therein and moved (e.g., transferredand/or copied) as a first set of data values for processing by a secondsubarray 525-1 to produce a second set of data values.

A command can be received from the controller to move data from thesource location to the destination location (e.g., of a DRAM array ofthe memory cells). The data can be moved from the source location to thedestination location (e.g., of the DRAM array) using the senseamplifiers and compute components via the plurality of shared I/O lines.

In some embodiments, 2048 shared I/O lines can be configured as a 2048bit wide shared I/O line. According to some embodiments, a number ofcycles for moving the data from a first row in the source location to asecond row in the destination location can be determined by dividing anumber of columns in the array intersected by a row of memory cells inthe array by the 2048 bit width of the plurality of shared I/O lines.For example, an array (e.g., a bank, a bank section, and a subarraythereof) can have 16,384 columns, which can correspond to 16,384 datavalues in a row, which when divided by the 2048 bit width of theplurality of shared I/O lines intersecting the row can yield eightcycles, each separate cycle being at substantially the same point intime (e.g., in parallel) for movement of all the data in the row.Alternatively or in addition, a bandwidth for moving the data from afirst row in the source location to a second row in the destinationlocation can be determined by dividing the number of columns in thearray intersected by the row of memory cells in the array by the 2048bit width of the plurality of shared I/O lines and multiplying theresult by a clock rate of the controller. In some embodiments,determining a number of data values in a row of the array can be basedupon the plurality of sense (digit) lines in the array.

A source location in a first subarray of memory cells can be configuredto couple via a plurality of shared I/O lines to a destination locationin a second subarray of memory cells, where the plurality of shared I/Olines can be configured as at least a thousand bit wide shared I/O line.A first sensing component stripe (e.g., 424-0) for the first subarray(e.g., 425-0) and second sensing component stripe (e.g., 424-N−1) forsecond subarray (e.g., 425-N−1) can be configured to include a senseamplifier and a compute component (e.g., 406-0 and 431-0, respectively)coupled to each corresponding column of memory cells in the first andsecond subarrays (e.g., 422-0 through 422-X−1). A controller can beconfigured to couple to the memory cells of the first and secondsubarrays and the first and second sensing component stripes (e.g., viathe column select circuitry 358-1, 358-2, 359-1, and 359-2).

The data can be moved from the source location in the first subarray viathe plurality of shared I/O lines to the destination location in thesecond subarray using the first sensing component stripe for the firstsubarray and the second sensing component stripe for the secondsubarray. The first amplifier stripe for the first subarray and thesecond sensing component stripe for the second subarray can, accordinglyto various embodiment, be configured to couple to the plurality ofshared I/O lines (e.g., via the column select circuitry 358-1, 358-2,359-1, and 359-2 in FIG. 3 and/or the multiplexers 460-1 and 460-2 inFIGS. 4A and 4B).

According to some embodiments, the source location in the first subarrayand the destination location in the second subarray can be in a singlebank section of a memory device (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C andFIGS. 4A and 4B). Alternatively or in addition, the source location inthe first subarray and the destination location in the second subarraycan be in separate banks and bank sections of the memory device coupledto a plurality of shared I/O lines. As such, the method can includemoving the data (e.g., in parallel) from the first sensing componentstripe for the first subarray via the plurality of shared I/O lines tothe second sensing component stripe for the second subarray.

A sensing component stripe (e.g., all sensing component stripes 424-0through 424-N−1) can be configured in each of a plurality of subarrays(e.g., subarrays 425-0 through 425-N−1) to couple to the plurality ofshared I/O lines (e.g., shared I/O line 455-1). In some embodiments,only one of eight columns of complementary sense lines at a time in thefirst subarray can be coupled to one of the plurality of shared I/Olines using the first sensing component stripe (e.g., sensing componentstripe 424-0) and only one of eight columns of complementary sense linesat a time in the second subarray can be coupled to one of the pluralityof shared I/O lines using the second sensing component stripe (e.g.,sensing component stripes 424-N−1).

The data can be moved from a number of sense amplifiers and computecomponents of the first sensing component stripe via the plurality ofshared I/O lines to a corresponding number of sense amplifiers andcompute components of the second sensing component stripe. For example,the data sensed from each sense amplifier and/or compute component ofthe source location can be moved to a corresponding sense amplifierand/or compute component in the destination location.

According to various embodiments, the controller and/or subarraycontrollers can select (e.g., open via an appropriate select line) afirst row of memory cells, which corresponds to the source location, forthe first sensing component stripe to sense data stored therein, couple(e.g., open) the plurality of shared I/O lines to the first sensingcomponent stripe, and couple (e.g., open) the second sensing componentstripe to the plurality of shared I/O lines (e.g., via the column selectcircuitry 358-1, 358-2, 359-1, and 359-2 and/or the multiplexers 460-1and 460-2). As such, the data can be moved in parallel from the firstsensing component stripe to the second sensing component stripe via theplurality of shared I/O lines. The first sensing component stripe canstore (e.g., cache) the sensed data and the second sensing componentstripe can store (e.g., cache) the moved data.

The controller and/or subarray controllers can select (e.g., open via anappropriate select line) a second row of memory cells, which correspondsto the destination location, for the second sensing component stripe(e.g., via the column select circuitry 358-1, 358-2, 359-1, and 359-2and/or the multiplexers 460-1 and 460-2). The controller and/or subarraycontrollers can then direct writing the data moved to the second sensingcomponent stripe to the destination location in the second row of memorycells.

In a DRAM implementation, a shared I/O line can be used as a data path(e.g., data flow pipeline) to move data in the memory cell array betweenvarious locations (e.g., subarrays) in the array. The shared I/O linecan be shared between all sensing component stripes. In variousembodiments, one sensing component stripe or one pair of sensingcomponent stripes (e.g., coupling a source location and a destinationlocation) can communicate with the shared I/O line at any given time.The shared I/O line is used to accomplish moving the data from onesensing component stripe to the other sensing component stripe.

A row can be selected (e.g., opened by the controller and/or subarraycontroller via an appropriate select line) for the first sensingcomponent stripe and the data values of the memory cells in the row canbe sensed. After sensing, the first sensing component stripe can becoupled to the shared I/O line, along with coupling the second sensingcomponent stripe to the same shared I/O line. The second sensingcomponent stripe can still be in a pre-charge state (e.g., ready toaccept data). After the data from the first sensing component stripe hasbeen moved (e.g., driven) into the second sensing component stripe, thesecond sensing component stripe can fire (e.g., latch) to store the datainto respective sense amplifiers and compute components. A row coupledto the second sensing component stripe can be opened (e.g., afterlatching the data) and the data that resides in the sense amplifiers andcompute components can be written into the destination location of thatrow.

FIG. 5 illustrates a timing diagram 533 associated with performing anumber of data movement operations using circuitry in accordance with anumber of embodiments of the present disclosure. The timing diagram 533schematically illustrated in FIG. 5 is shown as an example of a sequenceof operations associated with systolic movement of data, as describedherein (e.g., sequential movement of data between adjacent subarrays525-0, 525-1, 525-2, 525-3, and 525-4). A time scale (e.g., time points1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) of arbitrary length (e.g., operational cycle and/orclock cycle) is horizontally demarcated and is shown by way of example.

At each time point, the functions described below can be performedsubstantially simultaneously in the subarrays executing the sequence ofinstructions (e.g., taking into account that a continuous length of ashared I/O line moves one data value (e.g., bit) at a time). Forexample, for a first subarray, input of data, processing of the datawith operations, and moving the data to a next subarray, etc., can occursubstantially simultaneously with the corresponding functions in asecond subarray, a third subarray, and so on until the correspondingfunctions are performed in the last subarray of the sequence ofinstructions stored in the subarray controllers.

The sequence of instructions to be stored in and/or executed by thesubarray controllers (e.g., subarray controllers corresponding to 170-0,170-1, . . . , 170-N−1 described in connection with FIG. 1C) andperformed as a sequence of operations is shown in FIG. 5 to be fivedifferent operations by way of example. However, embodiments of thepresent disclosure are not limited to a sequence of five operations, allthe operations being different, and/or any or all of the operationsbeing the particular operations shown in FIG. 5 .

At time point 1, when a first batch of unprocessed data has been inputinto a first subarray 525-0, the first data values stored in some or allof the memory cells thereof can be processed by performance of an ANDoperation by a first subarray controller (e.g., subarray controller170-0 described in connection with FIG. 1C) to produce a first set ofdata values. After such processing of the first set of data values, thefirst set of data values can be moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied)from a first sensing component stripe (e.g., sensing component stripe124-0 described in connection with FIG. 1C) by being moved (e.g.,transferred and/or transported) via a plurality of shared I/O lines 155,355, and 455, as described in connection with FIGS. 1C, 3, 4A and 4B,respectively) for input to selected memory cells (e.g., some or all ofthe memory cells) of another (e.g., the second) subarray 525-1.

At time point 2 in subarray 525-1, the first set of data values storedin some or all of the memory cells in subarray 525-1 can be furtherprocessed by performance of an OR operation by a second subarraycontroller (e.g., subarray controller 170-2 described in connection withFIG. 1C). After such processing of the first set of data values, thefirst set of data values can be moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied)from a second sensing component stripe (e.g., sensing component stripe124-1 described in connection with FIG. 1C) by being moved (e.g.,transferred and/or transported) via the plurality of shared I/O linesfor input to selected memory cells of a next (e.g., third) subarray525-2. Substantially simultaneously with the input to selected memorycells (e.g., some or all of the memory cells) of the second subarray525-1 at time point 2, a second batch of unprocessed data can be inputinto some or all of the memory cells of the first subarray 525-0 to beprocessed by performance of the AND operation to produce a second set ofdata values. After such processing of the second set of data values, thesecond set of data values can be moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied)from the first sensing component stripe (e.g., sensing component stripe124-0 described in connection with FIG. 1C) by being moved (e.g.,transferred and/or transported) via a plurality of shared I/O lines forinput to selected memory cells (e.g., some or all of the memory cells)of the second subarray 525-1.

At time point 3 in third subarray 525-2, the first set of data valuesstored in some or all of the memory cells in subarray 525-2 can befurther processed by performance of a NOR operation by a third subarraycontroller (e.g., subarray controller 170-2 described in connection withFIG. 1C). After such processing of the first set of data values, thefirst set of data values can be moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied)from a third sensing component stripe (e.g., sensing component stripe124-2) by being moved (e.g., transferred and/or transported) via theplurality of shared I/O lines for input to selected memory cells of anext (e.g., fourth) subarray 525-3.

Substantially simultaneously with the input to selected memory cells(e.g., some or all of the memory cells) of the third subarray 525-2 attime point 3, a third batch of unprocessed data can be input into someor all of the memory cells of the first subarray 525-0 to be processedby performance of the AND operation to produce a third set of datavalues. After such processing of the third set of data values, the thirdset of data values can be moved (e.g., transferred and/or copied) fromthe first sensing component stripe (e.g., sensing component stripe124-0) by being moved (e.g., transferred and/or transported) via theplurality of shared I/O lines for input to selected memory cells (e.g.,some or all of the memory cells) of the second subarray 525-1.

Substantially simultaneously with the input of the first set of datavalues to selected memory cells (e.g., some or all of the memory cells)of the third subarray 525-2 and the input of the third set of datavalues to selected memory cells of the first subarray 525-0 at timepoint 3, the second batch of data values can be input to selected memorycells of the second subarray 525-1 to be processed by performance of theOR operation. After such processing of the second set of data values,the second set of data values can be moved (e.g., transferred and/orcopied) from the second sensing component stripe (e.g., sensingcomponent stripe 124-1) by being moved (e.g., transferred and/ortransported) via the plurality of shared I/O lines for input to selectedmemory cells of the third subarray 525-2.

In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the systolic data movement operationjust described can continue through performance of a last operation ofan operational cycle (e.g., an XOR operation) at time point 5. After thelatency of five time points (e.g., five operational cycles and/or clockcycles) for the five operations to be completed in the operationsequence, a completely processed batch of data can be output at eachtime point thereafter until the last batch of unprocessed data input tothe first subarray 525-0 has been completely processed.

From the last (e.g., fifth) subarray 525-4 in the operation sequence,the completely processed data values of each batch can be output (e.g.,as shown at 141 and described in connection with FIG. 1B) to, in someembodiments, a cache 571-2 associated with the controller 540. Thecontroller 540 shown in FIG. 5 can, in various examples, represent atleast a portion of the functionality embodied by and contained in thecontroller 140 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. The controller 540 can beconfigured to output each batch of the completely processed data valuesfrom the cache 571-2 to the host 110 via, for example, an HSIout-of-band bus 157 (e.g., as described in connection with FIG. 1A).

Accordingly, embodiments described herein provide a method for operatinga memory device to implement data movement (e.g., systolic datamovement, as described herein) performed by execution of non-transitoryinstructions by a processing resource. As described herein, the methodcan include performing a first operation on data values stored by memorycells in a particular row in a first subarray by execution of a firstset of instructions, where the first set of instructions can be in afirst subarray controller for the first subarray. The method can includemoving the data values, upon which the first operation has beenperformed, to a selected row of memory cells in a second subarray usinga first sensing component stripe for the first subarray. The method caninclude performing a second operation on the data values moved to theselected row of the second subarray by execution of a second set ofinstructions, where the second set of instructions can be in a secondsubarray controller for the second subarray.

For example, in some embodiments, the first set of instructions can bestored in the first subarray controller, where the first subarraycontroller is coupled to the first subarray, and the second set ofinstructions can be stored in the second subarray controller, where thesecond subarray controller is coupled to the second subarray.Alternatively and/or in addition, the first and second sets ofinstructions can be accessed by (e.g., without being stored by) thefirst subarray controller and the second subarray controller,respectively, from, for example, the controller 140 to be executed forperformance of particular operations. As such, the method can includethe controller directing performance of the first operation with respectto data stored in the first subarray by execution of the first set ofinstructions and directing performance of the second operation withrespect to data stored in the second subarray by execution of the secondset of instructions.

As described herein, the method can include coupling the first senseamplifier stripe (e.g., 124-0) for the first subarray (e.g., 125-0) viaa shared I/O line (e.g., 455-1, 455-2, . . . , 455-M) to the selectedrow (e.g., 319) of memory cells in the second subarray (e.g., 125-1).The data values can be moved (e.g., transferred and/or transported) fromthe particular row in the first subarray, upon which the first operationhas been performed, via the shared I/O line to the selected row ofmemory cells in the second subarray using the coupled first senseamplifier stripe. The data values from the particular row in the firstsubarray can be processed by performance of the first operation asdirected by execution of instructions by the first subarray controllerfor the first subarray and the data values can be processed (e.g.,systolically processed) by performance of the second operation in theselected row of the second subarray as directed by execution ofinstructions by a second subarray controller for the second subarray.The method can, in various embodiments, include coupling only one of aplurality of (e.g., eight) columns (e.g., columns of complementary senselines 305-1 and 305-2) at a time in the first subarray to each one ofthe plurality of shared I/O lines using the first sensing componentstripe.

A controller (e.g., 140) can be coupled to the subarray controllers forthe first and second subarrays. The controller can provide (e.g., input)the first set of instructions to the subarray controller for the firstsubarray to direct performance of the first operation by the firstsensing component stripe. The controller also can provide (e.g., input)the second set of instructions to the subarray controller for the secondsubarray to direct performance of the second operation by the secondsensing component stripe. The method can include the controllerselecting a first row of memory cells in the first subarray for thefirst sensing component stripe to sense data stored therein, couplingthe plurality of shared I/O lines to the first sensing component stripe,coupling the selected row of memory cells in the second subarray to theplurality of shared I/O lines, and moving the data in parallel from thefirst sensing component stripe to the selected row of memory cells inthe second subarray via the plurality of shared I/O lines. The firstsensing component stripe can store (e.g., cache) the data values uponwhich the first operation has been performed and the moved data valuescan be stored (e.g., cached and/or saved) in the selected row of memorycells in the second subarray.

As described in connection with FIG. 5 , the method can includeperforming substantially simultaneously each operation of a sequence ofoperations by execution of a first set of instructions by a firstsubarray controller coupled to the first subarray and by execution of asecond set of instructions by the second subarray controller coupled tothe second subarray. The sequence of operations can be performed (e.g.,substantially simultaneously performing at least two operations) afterdata is present for processing in the particular row in the firstsubarray and the selected row of memory cells in the second subarray. Invarious embodiments, performance of the first operation by execution ofinstructions by the first subarray controller can be configured to be anoperation that is different than a second operation performed byexecution of instructions by the second subarray controller. However,when appropriate for the sequence of instructions to be executed in thefirst and second subarrays, the first and second subarray controllerscan be configured to perform the same operation.

While example embodiments including various combinations andconfigurations of sensing circuitry, sense amplifiers, computecomponents, sensing component stripes, subarray controllers, shared I/Olines, column select circuitry, multiplexers, timing sequences, etc.,have been illustrated and described herein, embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not limited to those combinations explicitly recitedherein. Other combinations and configurations of the sensing circuitry,sense amplifiers, compute components, sensing component stripes,subarray controllers, shared I/O lines, column select circuitry,multiplexers, timing sequences, etc., disclosed herein are expresslyincluded within the scope of this disclosure.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that anarrangement calculated to achieve the same results can be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coveradaptations or variations of one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. It is to be understood that the above description has beenmade in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combinationof the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specificallydescribed herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art uponreviewing the above description. The scope of the one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure includes other applications inwhich the above structures and processes are used. Therefore, the scopeof one or more embodiments of the present disclosure should bedetermined with reference to the appended claims, along with the fullrange of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, some features are groupedtogether in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining thedisclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the disclosed embodiments of the presentdisclosure have to use more features than are expressly recited in eachclaim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matterlies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus,the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separateembodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a first controller configured to execute a first set of instructions to perform a first operation using a first sensing circuitry stripe coupled to a first group of memory cells of an array; and a second controller configured to independently execute a second set of instructions to perform a second operation using a second sensing circuitry stripe coupled to a second group of memory cells of the array; and wherein data values corresponding to respective results of the first operation are moved from the first sensing circuitry stripe to the second group of memory cells prior to performance of the second operation.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sensing circuitry stripe comprises a plurality of sensing components corresponding to respective columns of the array.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing components each comprise a sense amplifier and a compute component.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a shared I/O line configured to move the data values corresponding to the results of the first operation from the first sensing circuitry stripe to the second group of memory cells.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data values corresponding to the results of the first operation are moved from the first sensing circuitry stripe to a particular row of the second group of memory cells.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first group of memory cells and the second group of memory cells are different subarrays of the array.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a plurality of shared I/O lines configured to move the data values corresponding to the results of the first operation from the first sensing circuitry stripe to the second group of memory cells.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first controller and the second controller are separate subarray controllers.
 9. An apparatus, comprising: a memory device comprising a plurality of subarrays of memory cells; a controller configured to: provide a first set of instructions to a first subarray controller coupled to a first subarray of the plurality of subarrays, wherein the first set of instructions are executable to perform a first operation on data stored in the first subarray using a first sensing component stripe coupled to the first subarray; and provide a second set of instructions to a second subarray controller coupled to a second subarray of the plurality of subarrays, wherein the second set of instructions are executable to perform a second operation on data stored in the second subarray using a second sensing component stripe coupled to the second subarray; wherein the first sensing component stripe comprises a first plurality of pairs of sense amplifiers and compute components corresponding to respective columns of the first subarray; and wherein the first operation and the second operation are operations in a sequence of operations performed to provide a result.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second sensing component stripe comprises a second plurality of pairs of sense amplifiers and compute components corresponding to respective columns of the second subarray.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sequence of operations are performed in association with the systolic movement of data stored in an array comprising the first and the second subarrays.
 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to receive the first and the second sets of instructions from a host to which the memory device is coupled via a bus.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and the second operation are logical operations selected from a group of operations, comprising: an AND operation; an OR operation; a NAND operation; a NOR operation; and an XOR operation.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of input/output lines shared by the first and second subarrays and configured to move data from the first sensing component stripe to a row of the second array in association with performing the second operation.
 15. A method, comprising: executing, via a first controller coupled to a first group of memory cells, a first set of instructions to perform a first operation; and executing, via a second controller coupled to a second group of memory cells, a second set of instructions to perform a second operation; wherein the first set of instructions and the second set of instructions are executed independently by the respective first and second controllers; wherein the first operation and the second operation are operations in a sequence of operations performed on data stored in the respective first and second groups of memory cells; and wherein the first operation and the second operation are performed using respective sensing circuitry stripes coupled to the first and the second groups of memory cells.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving the first set of instructions and the second set of instructions from a host.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second groups of memory cells correspond to respective different subarrays of an array of memory cells.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first operation and the second operation correspond to respective logical operations.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first operation and the second operation are different respective logical operations.
 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising moving data values corresponding to respective results of the first operation from a first sensing circuitry stripe coupled to the first group of memory cells to the second group of memory cells prior to performing the second operation. 